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2  2  1996 


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1988 


60M — 048 — Form  8 


VETERINARY  MEDICINE  SERIES 

No.    7 
Edited  by  D.  M.  CAMPBELL,  D.  V.  S. 


SPECIAL 
CATTLE  THERAPY 


BY 

MART  R.  STEFFEN,  M.  D.  C,  V.  S. 

Author  of  "SPECIAL  VETERINARY  THERAPY";  Editor 

"Therapeutic     Digest     Department,"     American 

Journal    of    Veterinary    Medicine 


Chicago 

AMERICAN  JOURNAL  OF  VETERINARY  MEDICINE 
1915 


Coi'vniGiiT,  1915, 

I!Y 

1)    M.   CA^rriELL 


PREFACE 

Special  Cattle  Therapy  was  written  to  fill  the  de- 
mand for  a  concise,  practical  treatise  on  the  treatment 
of  the  commoner  diseases  of  cattle. 

As  in  ''Special  Veterinary  Therapy"  no  particular 
system  of  medicine  is  advocated,  practical  procedures 
only  being  given  attention ;  especially,  such  treatments 
and  methods  of  handling  as  the  author's  experience 
has  suggested  as  being  successful. 

While  every  effort  has  been  made  to  harmonize  all 
procedures  with  the  teachings  of  veterinary  science  as 
far  as  is  consistent,  scientific  teachings  have  been  sac- 
rificed where  the  ultimate  result  has  demanded  methods 
of  treatment  bordering  on  the  empirical.  Where  such 
sacrifice  has  been  made,  however,  an  attempt  is  made 
in  every  instance  to  explain  the  action  and  effect  of 
empirical  methods  on  a  scientific  basis. 

MART  R.  STEFFEN. 
Brillion,  Wis. 

August,  1915. 


INTRODUCTION 
The  Action  of  Drugs 

Of  all  the  domestic  animals  cattle,  more  particularly 
dairy  cattle,  respond  most  satisfactorily  to  the  action 
of  drugs.  A  system  of  specific  medication  is  possible 
in  cattle  if  it  is  possible  in  any  animal.  Granted  that 
the  drug"  has  been  intelligently  selected  for  the  disease, 
and  that  it  has  Been  judiciously  administered,  a  defi- 
nite action  is  ahvays  forthcoming.  This  is  true  whether 
the  drug  be  given  orally  or  hypodermically,  but  espe- 
cially so  when  given  orally. 

The  Administration  of  Drugs 

For  all  practical  purposes  the  administration  of 
drugs  can  be  limited  to  oral  and  hypodermic  adminis- 
tration. 

Oral  administration  in  the  cow  is  a  very  simple  pro- 
cedure, especially  so  when  the  cow  is  not  confined  in  a 
stanchion.  The  thumb  and  forefinger  of  the  left  hand 
grasp  the  nasal  septum  firmly  from  above  and  just 
inside  the  nostrils.  The  head  is  then  raised  straight 
up,  under  the  veterinarian's  left  arm,  and  the  medi- 
cine emptied  into  the  mouth.  Most  cows  will  swallow 
liquids  in  this  manner  just  as  fast  as  they  are  poured 
in.  Usually  the  veterinarian  can  do- this  single-handed ; 
now  and  then  a  head-strong  cow  will  require  that  a 
helper  give  the  veterinarian  some  assistance  in  keep- 
ing the  animal's  head  raised.  There  is  an  impression 
among  farmers  that  the  tongue  must  be  held  out  of 

5 


O  H.  HILL  LIBRARY 

NoSk  Caroltoa  State  CoUifa 


6  SPECIAL  CATTLE  THERAPY 

one  corner  of  the  cow's  mouth  when  the  animal  is 
being  drenched.  This  is  erroneous.  The  tongue  should 
not  be  touched  by  the  person  giving  the  drench.  The 
free  use  of  the  tongue  is  necessary  to  properly  per- 
form the  act  of  deglutition.  The  mouth  of  the  bottle 
used  for  drenching  should  rest  against  the  roof  of  the 
cow's  mouth,  just  back  of  the  dental  pad,  and  should 
then  follow  the  movements  of  the  tongue,  up  and  down. 
In  other  words,  each  time  the  cow  swallows  the  mouth 
opens  wider  and  the  tongue  is  drawn  back  towards 
the  pharynx;  the  bottle  should  follow  in,  keeping  it 
against  the  roof  of  the  mouth  and  until  the  shoulder 
of  the  bottle  strikes  the  first  molar.  When  the  act  of 
deglutition  is  completed  the  tongue  comes  forward 
again  and  the  mouth  closes ;  the  bottle  is  then  allowed 
to  come  forward  again  towards  the  region  just  back 
of  the  dental  pad.  This  is  repeated  at  each  deglutitory 
act  until  the  medicine  has  been  entirely  poured  in. 
When  cattle  are  drenched  in  this  manner  the  danger 
of  inhalation  pneumonia  from  portions  of  the  medica- 
ment entering  the  larynx  are  nil. 

To  jam  the  bottle  into  the  corner  of  the  cow's  mouth 
when  drenching  and  hold  it  there  until  it  is  empty  is 
not  the  correct  method  and  usually  induces  a  fit  of 
coughing  immediately  after  the  drench. 

The  hypodermatic  administration  of  drugs  does  not 
differ  materially  in  cows  from  the  same  procedure  in 
horses.  It  is  only  necessary  to  use  a  heavier  needle 
and  to  select  a  place  in  the  skin  where  it  can  be  in- 
serted easily.  The  top  of  the  shoulder  presents  a  good 
area  for  the  entrance  of  the  hypodermic  needle  in 
cows.  The  skin  is  loose  enough  here  so  that  a  fold 
can  be  picked  up,  and  it  is  not  so  tough  here  as  in 
other  parts.  Another  point  in  selecting  this  region 
lies  in  the  fact  that  the  veterinarian  can  get  into  such 


INTRODUCTION  7 

a  position  here  that  he  can  avoid  being  kicked  by  the 
cow  when  the  needle  is  thrnst  in. 

The  needle  shonld  be  thrnst  from  above  downwards, 
and  a  slip  needle  should  be  used  if  possible.  If  a 
needle  with  a  screw  thread  is  used  it  is  frequently 
broken  if  it  is  thrust  in  while  attached  to  the  syringe. 
If  it  is  not  attached  to  the  syringe,  too  much  time  is 
lost  in  attaching  the  syringe  after  the  needle  is  in  situ. 

When  the  cow  is  recumbent  the  injection  can  be 
given  in  the  side  of  the  neck,  or  in  the  region  of  the 
flank. 

Abscess  formations  following  on  hypodermatic  injec- 
tions in  cattle  are  almost  never  seen,  even  when  no 
antiseptic  precautions  are  taken. 

Things  that  Make  for  Success  in  Cattle  Practice 

In  beginning  the  discussion  of  diseases  of  cattle  it 
might  be  in  place  to  call  the  reader's  attention  to  the 
fact  that  it  would  be  a  difficult  matter  to  cite  author- 
itative and,  at  the  same  time,  practical  writings  on  a 
system  of  therapeutics  for  cattle.  Bovine  therapy  is 
a  specialty  of  veterinary  medicine  which  offers  a  con- 
siderable field  for  the  development  of  improved  and 
enlightened  methods  of  treatment.  The  same  is  true 
of  the  diagnosis  of  diseases  of  cattle. 

Another  point  worthy  of  consideration  in  cattle  prac- 
tice is  the  veterinarian's  personality,  or  his  demeanor 
towards  the  patient.  This  can  almost  be  summed  up 
in  two  words:  ''Be  gentle."  We  are  speaking,  of 
course,  of  dairy  cattle.  No  consideration  is  given  to 
range  cattle  in  this  treatise. 

The  diseases  with  which  we  shall  concern  ourselves 
in  the  following  chapters  include  the  pathologic  con- 
ditions and  accidents  in  cattle  with  which  the  prac- 


8  SPECIAL  CATTLE  THERAPY 

titioner  most  frequently  meets,  and  especially  those 
conditions  upon  the  proper  and  efficient  handling  of 
which  depend  the  veterinarian's  popularity  and  his 
financial  success  in  a  country  practice. 


RANULA 

There  does  not  seem  to  be  much  conformity  of 
opinion  among  veterinarians  as  to  just  what  a  ranula 
is.  For  the  present  purpose  we  shall  call  a  ranula  a 
cyst  w^hich  makes  its  appearance  under  the  tongue, 
extending  from  the  franum  linguae  forward,  towards 
the  incisors.  It  is  quite  generally  presumed,  that  this 
condition  is  the  result  of  foreign  particles  entering 
into  the  substance  of  the  submaxillary  gland  through 
Wharton's  duct. 

The  symptoms  in  this  condition  usually  begin  with 
the  appearance  of  fullness  or  swelling  which  can  be 
seen  best  by  viewing  the  cow's  head  from  the  side. 
It  begins  two  or  three  inches  behind  the  chin  in  the 
inter-maxillary  space,  is  pouch-like  and  extends  back- 
ward towards  the  larynx.  This  swelling  is  movable 
and  can  be  pushed  upwards  between  the  rami  of  the 
lower  jaw,  free  from  the  skin.  (The  swelling  of  acti- 
nomycosis affecting  this  region  is  adherent.) 

After  a  period  of  time  the  cow  does  not  eat  nor- 
mally and  saliva  constantly  drips  from  the  mouth. 

Usually  it  is  at  about  this  time  that  the  veterinarian 
is  called.  AVhen,  after  having  noted  the  external 
swelling,  he  examines  the  interior  of  the  mouth  he 
discovers  a  swelling  below  the  free  portion  of  the 
tongue.  This  swelling  usually  is  circumscribed,  stand- 
ing out  from  the  parts  to  the  height  of  an  inch  or 
two  and,  in  the  early  stages,  is  quite  firm.     The  fact 


RANULA  9 

that  the  swelling  is  circumscribed  sharply,  differen- 
tiates ranula  from  all  other  abnormalities  in  this  part 
of  the  anatomy,  and  it  can  not  be  mistaken  for  any 
other  disease. 

The  treatment  is  chiefly  surgical  and  consists  of 
lancing  the  swelling  in  the  mouth  at  the  point  proximal 
to  the  incisors.  A  straight  abscess  knife  is  merely 
thrust  into  the  front  of  the  swelling  and  withdrawn; 
no  extensive  incision  need  be  made.  If  the  disease  is 
of  recent  occurrence  the-  discharge  which  is  emitted 
following  the  lance  is  quite  thick  and  of  a  dark  gray 
color;  in  fact,  more  of  the  appearance  and  consistency 
of  necrotic  tissue  shreds  than  of  pus.  If  the  disease 
has  existed  for  a  considerable  length  of  time  the  swell- 
ing, which  is  then  not  so  firm,  contains  a  rather  thin, 
syrupy  fluid.  Nothing  further  is  done  to  the  lesion  in 
the  mouth,  but  the  external  swelling  is  to  be  treated 
with  a  mild  counter-irritant  or  an  absorbent. 

Relief  is  immediate  when  the  cyst  has  been  lanced 
and  the  cow  begins  to  eat  normally.  The  essential 
feature  in  the  handling  of  this  condition  lies  in  lancing 
the  swelling  in  the  mouth.  The  external  swelling 
should  never  be  incised.  Further,  no  time  should  be 
w^asted  in  waiting  for  the  internal  swelling  to  ''point"; 
it  should  be  lanced  even  if  it  is  apparently  ''not  ready" 
to  be  lanced.  Whenever  ranula  has  reached  the  stage 
in  which  it  produces  trouble  in  eating  it  is  ready  for 
opening,  no  matter  how  firm  it  may  feel.  The  knife 
should  penetrate  to  the  center  with  one  thrust ;  upon 
its  withdrawal  the  contents  of  the  cyst  makes  its  exit. 


10  SPECIAL  CATTLE  THERAPY 

DENTAL    IRREGULARITIES    AND    OTHER    SPO- 
RADIC DISEASED  CONDITIONS  IN 
THE  MOUTH 

Dental  Irregularities 

Irregularities  of  the  teeth  do  not  come  to  the  atten- 
tion of  the  veterinarian  frequently  in  a  cattle  practice. 
When  such  irregularities  do  occur  they  are  usually  so 
evident  bj^  their  symptoms  that  the  diagnosis  is  not 
difficult. 

Probably  the  most  common  dental  irregularity  that 
occurs  in  the  cow  is  the  split  and  deflected  molar;  such 
molars  are,  in  fact  more  common  than  is  generally  sup- 
posed. Systematic  examination  of  the  mouth  and  the 
dental  arches  will  disclose  this  abnormality  quite  fre- 
quently. 

It  is,  however,  astonishing  to  what  length  a  split 
and  deflected  molar  can  grow  in  cattle  without  inter- 
fering to  any  great  degree  Avith  mastication  or  the  well- 
being  of  the  animal.  We  have  seen  only  a  very  few 
cases  of  ulceration  of  teeth  accompanied  by  bony  en- 
largements and  subsequent  abscess  formation  on  the 
maxilla. 

Xow  and  then  a  case  is  presented  in  which  deciduous 
molars  are  capping  the  permanent  teeth,  producing  a 
certain  degree  of  difficulty  in  mastication.  This  con- 
dition is  very  rare  also. 

The  treatment  of  dental  abnormalities  in  the  cow 
does  not  differ  materially  from  the  treatment  of  simi- 
lar conditions  in  equine  subjects.  Split  and  elongated 
molars  are  either  extracted  or  cut  down  with  the  molar 
cutter.  Ulcerated  fangs  are  repulsed  if  they  can  not 
be  grasped  with  the  extracting  forceps. 


DENTAL  IRREGULARITIES  11 

No  manipulations  of  any  extent  should  ever  be  at- 
tempted in  the  mouth  of  the  cow  without  the  use  of  a 
strong  mouth  speculum.  Those  not  acquainted  with 
the  contractile  power  of  the  masseters  of  the  cow 
should  not  chance  experience  to  make  this  acquaint- 
ance. The  power  of  the  masseters  in  the  cow  is  tre- 
mendous; aided  by  the  scissor-like  movements,  of 
which  the  mandible  is  capable  in  this  animal,  it  makes 
manipulations  in  the  cavity  without  the  use  of  a  good 
mouth  speculum  far  from  a  safe  procedure.  A  per- 
fectly trustworthy  speculum  can  be  made  from  an  or- 
dinary plow  clevis,  w^hen  no  other  speculum  is  at 
hand.  We  have  used  a  plow  clevis  for  this  purpose 
a  number  of  times  and  with  satisfaction.  Care  must 
be  observed  to  keep  it  in  an  upright  position,  in  case 
the  cow  moves  the  head  suddenly. 

Stomatitis  From  Mis-Cut  Ensilage 

Ensilage  improperly  cut  in  length  is  frequently  the 
cause  of  a  considerable  degree  of  stomatitis  and  ulcer- 
ations of  the  buccal  mucosa. 

The  condition  makes  itself  known  by  profuse  sali- 
vation, smacking  of  the  lips,  and  refusal  of  feed.  All 
the  symptoms  point  to  a  purely  local  trouble  in  the 
mouth.  Several  cattle  are  usually  affected  simultane- 
ously. Examination  will  show  the  mucous  membrane 
of  the  mouth  quite  generally  inflamed,  with  numbers 
of  spots  in  various  stages  of  ulceration. 

We  recall  an  instance  during  the  recent  epizootic  of 
foot-and-mouth  disease  in  which  a  city  veterinarian 
diagnosed  this  condition,  caused  by  mis-cut  ensilage, 
foot-and-mouth  disease.  A  small-town  country  prac- 
titioner promptly  set  him  right  and  handled  the  cases 
to  the  satisfaction  of  all  concerned  by  withdrawing 
the  ensilage  from  the  daily  ration. 


12  SPECIAL  CATTLE  THERAPY 

This,  in  fact,  practically  constitutes  the  entire  treat- 
ment of  this  condition.  Should  a  particular  case  pre- 
sent especially  severe  lesions  a  mouth  wash  can  be 
used  for  a  few  days,  or  the  ulcerating  spots  can  be 
touched  up  with  equal  parts  tincture  iodin  and  com- 
pound tincture  of  benzoin  a  few  times. 

Foreign  Bodies  in  the  Tongue 

Hard,  sharp  objects  such  as  pins,  nails,  pieces  of  wire 
and  the  like,  are  quite  frequently  found  lodged  in  the 
tongue  of  the  cow.  We  dare  say,  that  in  probably 
ninety-five  per  cent  of  the  cases  absolutely  no  symp- 
toms are  produced  that  can  be  observed  ordinarily. 

When  symptoms  of  an  objective  nature  are  produced 
they  point  very  distinctly  to  the  region  involved. 
Objects  which  are  not  wholly  embedded  in  the  lingual 
tissues  may  be  discovered  without  difficulty.  They  are 
to  be  removed  and  the  wound  given  whatever  atten- 
tion is  required.  Very  small  wounds  here  are  best 
left  alone. 

Objects  which  are  wholly  embedded  are  detected  by 
very  careful  and  painstaking  examination,  disclosing 
their  location  always  as  a  distinctly  circumscribed  area 
of  hardened  tissue.  When  this  area  has  been  located 
it  is  still  necessary  to  locate  the  object  itself  by  in- 
cision, carrying  the  incision  inward  by  repeated  cuts 
until  the  object  is  disclosed.  It  is  then  to  be  appro- 
priately removed  and  the  wound  is  treated  along  ordi- 
uai'v  lines. 


ACUTE  PAROTITIS  13 


ACUTE  PAROTITIS 

Acute  inflammation  of  the  parotid  glands,  commonly 
termed  ''mumps,"  is  a  very  common  disease  of  cattle. 
It  is  seen  under  all  conditions  of  housing  and  at  va- 
riable seasons.  The  prognosis  of  parotitis  in  cattle, 
(not  due  to  actinomycosis),  is  very  favorable  and  the 
course  of  the  disease  is  usually  typical. 

Parotitis  begins  with  a  rigor  in  most  cases.  The 
temperature  may  run  as  high  as  106°  F.  in  the  be- 
ginning. At  the  same  time  there  is  noticed  a  slight 
fullness  in  the  region  of  the  parotid  gland,  from  the 
ear  to  the  angle  of  the  jaw.  This  fullness  increases 
rapidly  until  at  the  end  of  twenty-four  hours  or  there- 
about, there  is  a  distinct,  rounded  swelling  in  the  re- 
gion. This  swelling  is  very  tender  on  pressure,  and 
the  cow  stands  with  the  head  extended  in  a  line  with 
the  neck.  If  the  trouble  is  unilateral  the  head  is  held 
to  one  side  and  partly  twisted  on  its  own  axis.  The 
cow^  attempts  to  eat  but  finds  deglutition  very  pain- 
ful, and  usually  all  feed  is  refused.  In  drinking  water 
much  time  is  consumed  in  the  act  and,  after  a  number 
of  swallows  have  been  taken,  the  animal  gives  up  the 
attempt.  If  the  swelling  in  the  parotid  region  is  very 
extensive  and  reaches  below  the  larynx  and  between 
the  rami  of  the  lower  jaw  there  may  be  a  degree  of 
dyspnea. 

Ordinary  cases  yield  to  treatment  in  a  week  or  ten 
days.  In  other  cases  abscess  formation  delays  the 
recovery,  so  that  in  certain  instances  three  or  four 
weeks  may  elapse  before  the  case  is  completely  cured. 

The  best  results  in  the  treatment  of  this  disease  are 
obtained  from  repeated  injections  of  polyvalent  bac- 
terins.  We  give  a  full  dose  hypodermically  every  three 
days  until  the  case  is  under  control. 


14  SPECIAL  CATTLE  THERAPY 

For  local  applications  over  the  swollen  parotids  we 
have  found  nothing  better  than  iodin  tincture.  The 
first  two  or  three  days  we  paint  the  entire  swelling 
several  times  during  the  day  with  pure  tincture  of 
iodin.    Later  we  make  the  applications  only  once  daily. 

Since  we  have  been  using  the  foregoing  treatment 
we  have  had  no  case  with  abscess  formation,  and  re- 
covery is  more  prompt  than  with  old  line  treatments. 
In  addition  to  the  above  treatment  we  make  it  a  rule 
to  see  to  it  that  a  tub  or  large  pail  of  water  is  kept 
constantly  before  the  animal  where  it  can  be  reached 
without  much  effort.  A  few  tablespoonfuls  of  dilute 
sulphuric  acid  are  added  to  each  tub  of  water,  for  its 
refrigerant  and  astringent  effect. 

The  feed  should  consist  of  thin  slops  and  other  moist 
feeds. 

If  abscess  formation  should  occur  we  recommend 
early  incision.  We  do  not  pay  much  attention  to  the 
invasion  of  the  parotid  gland  with  the  lance ;  even 
when  the  abscess  is  lanced  directly  through  the  gland 
substance.     Permanent  salivary  fistula  is  rare. 


ACTINOMYCOSIS  ("Lumpy  Jaw") 

Actinomycosis  comes  to  the  veterinarian's  attention 
only  when  it  is  localized  on  some  exterior  portion  of 
the  body.  Actinomycotic  processes  of  the  internal  or- 
gans, such  as  the  lungs  for  instance,  are  probably 
never  diagnosed  ante-mortem. 

The  actinomycotic  lesion  most  frequently  seen  in 
practice  is  in  the  region  of  the  angle  of  the  lower  jaw 
or  in  the  parotid  region.  Next  in  frequency  as  regards 
location  is  that  form  which  involves  the  tissues  lying 
in  the  space  between  the  rami  of  the  lower  jaw. 


ACTINOMYCOSIS  15 

Not  quite  so  frequent,  but  yet  common  enough,  is 
actinomycosis  of  the  tongue.  In  all  forms  this  disease 
shows  a  decided  preference  for  young  or  middle-aged 
cattle;  old  cattle  are  only  occasionally  affected. 

While  it  is  presumed  to  be  infectious  it  is  generally 
found  in  isolated  instances.  One  cow  in  a  herd  of 
dairy  cattle  may  have  the  disease  in  a  well-marked 
form  and  not  another  animal  in  the  herd  become 
affected ;  but  often  more  than  one  become  affected,  the 
number  sometimes  including  twenty-five  per  cent  of 
large  herds. 

When  the  disease  makes  its  appearance  at  the  angle 
of  the  jaw  it  is  in  the  form  of  a  smooth  tumefaction 
or  lump,  or  ''bunch."  In  the  early  stages  this  tume- 
faction increases  in  size,  becomes  more  firm,  and 
usually  tends  to  become  anchored  or  fixed  to  the  bone. 
Still  later  the  center  becomes  necrotic,  and  the  typical 
stringy,  marrow-colored  pus  is  discharged. 

If  the  case  is  not  checked  at  this  time  it  may  pro- 
gress until  the  bone  itself  is  involved  in  the  disease 
process,  and  the  treatment  then  becomes  difficult. 

When  actinomycosis  involves  the  tissues  lying  be- 
tween the  rami  of  the  inferior  maxilla  we  find  this 
space  completely  filled  with  a  mass  of  dense,  appar- 
ently fibrous,  tissue.  If  the  disease  has  existed  here 
for  some  time  the  enlargement  can  be  seen  plainly 
with  the  animal  in  the  standing  position;  the  under 
side  of  the  jaws  between  the  chin  and  throat  appears 
curved  from  before  backwards  with  a  considerable  belly 
towards  the  bottom. 

After  variable  periods  of  time  this  swelling  breaks 
down  in  one  or  more  places.  Usually  there  are  three 
or  four  openings,  and  from  these  escapes  actinomycotic 
pus.  The  pus  in  this  location  is  not  so  characteristic, 
being  thin  and  lighter  in  consistency. 


16  SPECIAL  CATTLE  THERAPY 

Actinomycosis  involving  the  tongue  usually  does  not 
produce  noticeable  symptoms  until  it  is  quite  exten- 
sive. When  the  condition  does  attract  attention  it  is 
usually  seen  that  the  cow  has  difficulty  in  masticating 
her  food.  The  mouth  is  constantly  held  partly  open 
and  saliva  is  continually  dripping  from  the  opening. 
The  tongue  seems  too  large  for  the  mouth  and  when 
the  veterinarian  examines  it  he  finds  that  it  feels  more 
or  less  solid  or  'Svoody."  When  the  disease  has  pro- 
gressed to  this  stage  it  is  only  a  matter  of  a  short 
time  until  the  cow  finds  eating  an  impossibility  and  if 
the  condition  is  not  properly  treated  the  animal  dies 
of  inanition. 

The  treatment  of  actinomycosis  is  very  satisfactory 
when  the  disease  has  confined  itself  to  soft  tissue. 
When  it  has  invaded  the  dense  tissues,  bone  or  car- 
tilage, the  treatment  is  not  so  satisfactory. 

In  that  form  which  asserts  itself  in  the  form  of  a 
tumor  or  bunch  at  or  near  the  angle  of  the  jaw  the 
treatment  begins  with  incision  of  the  tumor.  That 
this  may  be  safely  and  thoroughly  done  it  is  necessary 
to  cast  the  patient.  It  is  almost  impossible  to  so  con- 
fine a  cow  in  the  standing  position  that  the  necessary 
steps  in  the  treatment  can  be  satisfactorily  and  safely 
performed.  Having  cast  the  patient,  the  veterinarian 
incises  the  tumor  near  the  most  dependent  part,  using 
an  abscess  knife  and  making  the  incision  not  more 
than  one  inch  in  length.  The  incision  is  carried  well 
into  the  center  of  the  tumor  and  the  interior  is  then 
thoroughly  curetted.  This  is  a  painful  operation  and 
is  best  performed  under  anesthetics.  When  this  has 
been  done  a  gauze  or  cotton  wad,  which  has  been  sat- 
urated in  a  ten  per  cent  solution  of  chromium  trioxid, 
is  packed  firmly  into  the  cavity  and  the  animal  is 
allowed  to  get  up. 


ACTINOMYCOSIS  17 

In  most  cases  this  completes  the  local  treatment  in 
this  form  of  the  disease.  After  a  week  or  ten  days  the 
entire  mass  of  diseased  tissue  drops  out  and  leaves  but 
little  scar. 

The  internal  treatment  in  this,  as  in  all  other  forms 
of  actinomycosis,  consists-  of  the  administration  of 
potassium  iodid.  The  result  obtained  from  the  use  of 
potassium  iodid  in  this  disease  is  frequently  nothing 
short  of  marvelous.'  The  dose  is  from  one  to  two 
drams  three  times  daily  for  matured  cows,  and  it  is 
to  be  persisted  in  until  all  symptoms  of  the  disease 
have  disappeared.  If  iodism  supervenes  the  drug  can 
be  discontinued  for  a  few  days  and  then  be  given 
again.  Unless  the  disease  has  already  involved  the 
inferior  maxilla  a  complete  recovery  may  be  expected 
in  from  two  to  three  weeks. 

The  treatment  of  that  form  which  attacks  the  tissue 
lying  between  the  rami  of  the  inferior  maxilla  varies 
from  the  foregoing  only  in  the  local  treatment.  The 
openings  which  are  present,  if  any,  are  merely  en- 
larged slightly  with  a  sharp  curette.  If  there  are  no 
openings  present  no  attempt  is  made  to  produce  any 
by  surgical  means.  The  swelling  is  subjected  to  no 
further  local  handling  than  a  daily  painting  with  pure 
tincture  of  iodin. 

In  actinomycosis  of  the  tongue  the  treatment  is  con- 
fined to  the  internal  administration  of  the  potassium 
iodid.  The  results  in  this  form  are  most  prompt  and 
highly  pleasing  to  both  the  client  and  the  veterinarian. 
However,  unless  the  treatment  is  persisted  in  for  a 
sufficient  length  of  time  relapses  of  this  form  fre- 
quently occur.  The  treatment  should  be  kept  up  until 
iodism  has  been  produced  at  least  three  or  four  times ; 
only  then  can  a  cure  be  assured.     Half  dram  doses  of 


18  SPECIAL  CATTLE  THERAPY 

fluid  extract  of  Phytolacca  improve  the  action  of  potas- 
sium iodici  when  given  with  it  in  these  cases. 

In  summing  up  the  treatment  of  actinomycosis  it 
can  be  said  that  even  very  extensive  lesions  can  be 
controlled  and  ultimately  entirely  cured  with  judicious 
use  of  potassium  iodid.  In  our  own  practice  we  do 
not  pa}^  very  much  attention  to  the  local  handling 
even  w^hen  the  actinomycotic  growth  has  assumed 
great  proportions.  The  following  case  report  is  an 
example  of  the  effect  of  potassium  iodid  in  this  disease. 

A  Jersey  cow  had  an  actinomrcotic  tumor  at  the  angle  of  the 
jaw  extending  to  and  involving  the  parotid  region.  It  was  of 
long  standing  when  it  came  into  our  hands,  having  gone  through 
various  courses  of  treatment  with  home  remedies.  At  the  time 
we  were  called  in  the  cow  was  barely  able  to  breathe,  the  tumor 
having  involved  the  trachea  and  larynx,  probably  producing 
the  dyspnea  by  pressure.  The  dyspnea  was  so  distressing  that 
a  tracheotomy  had  to  be  performed.  Under  treatment  improve- 
ment progressed  so  rapidly  that  the  tube  was  taken  out  at  the 
end  of  a  week,  all  signs  of  dyspnea  having  disappeared.  The 
tumor  itself  had  been  reduced  to  the  size  of  a  lemon. 

Another  case,  illustrating  the  effect  of  potassium 
iodid  in  actinomycosis  involving  the  tissues  in  the 
space  between  the  rami  of  the  lower  jaw  may  be  cited. 

This  case  occurred  in  a  Holstein  calf,  six  or  eight  months  old. 
The  entire  space  was  filled  up  with  the  growth  and  a  number 
of  openings  were  discharging  typical  pus.  Examination  of  the 
interior  of  the  mouth  showed  the  lingual  canal  pushed  up  and 
nearly  filled  in,  making  the  tongue  appear  as  though  it  were 
crowded  against  the  roof  of  the  mouth.  The  calf  was  emaciated 
and  stunted  in  growth. 

The  openings  were  curetted  slightly  and  the  calf  allowed  to 
get  up.  He  was  put  on  a  dram  of  potassium  iodid  morning  and 
evening,  and  the  enlargement  painted  once  or  twice  daily  with 
tincture  iodin.  In  two  weeks  there  was  no  sign  of  swelling 
and  the  calf  had  improved  remarkably  in  condition. 

To  assure  a  permanent  result  the  potassium  iodid  was  con- 
tinued a  week  longer  and  paintings  were  made  occasionally 
with  iodin.  The  calf  has  developed  into  a  fine  bull,  is  now 
eighteen  months  old  and  is  entirely  free  from  any  sign  of  the 
trouble.  The  entire  treatment  covered  about  three  or  four 
weeks'  time. 

It  should  be  mentioned  that  actinomycosis  involving 
the  parotid  gland  is  for  some  reason  more  difficult  to 


EPIZOOTIC  KERATITIS  19 

cure  than  when  it  involves  other  soft  structures,  even 
more  stubborn  to  treat  than  some  of  the  cases  where 
osseous  tissue  is  extensively  involved.  The  treatment 
is  the  same  as  that  for  involvement  of  other  organs 
and  tissues. 


EPIZOOTIC  KERATITIS 

This  is  a  disease  affecting  the  eyes  of  cattle  which 
occurs  from  time  to  time  in  certain  localities.  It  is 
seen  usually  during  the  summer  months  w^hen  the  cat- 
tle are  on  grass.  Almost  without  exception  it  attacks 
every  animal  in  a  herd  of  cattle  w^hich  it  invades.  In 
rare  instances  a  few  animals  may  escape  the  infection. 

The  first  attacked  in  an  outbreak  usually  develop 
the  disease  in  its  most  severe  form;  towards  the  latter 
part  of  the  epizootic  the  cases  become  milder  and  may 
recover  spontaneously. 

The  disease  affects  cattle  only.  Horses  in  the  same 
pastures  with  the  affected  cattle  do  not  develop  the 
disease,  nor  are  other  animals  on  the  farm  affected. 
We  recall  an  instance  where  a  man,  who  had  a  herd 
of  cows  under  his  care  during  an  outbreak  of  keratitis 
and  who  treated  the  eyes  of  those  affected,  contracted 
a  mild  conjunctivitis. 

In  the  mild  or  sub-acute  form  the  symptoms  are  con- 
fined wholly  to  the  eyes.  In  the  severe  form  the  ani- 
mal shows  systemic  derangement  such  as  loss  of  appe- 
tite and  a  considerable  interference  with  the  lacteal 
secretion. 

The  first  symptom,  that  the  farmer  sees,  when  the 
disease  appears  in  his  herd  is  lachrymation.  When  the 
cows  are  brought  in  from  pasture  at  night  he  notices 
a  few  cows  with   ''a  running  from  the   eyes.''     The 


20  SPECIAL  CATTLE  THERAPY 

eyes  are  only  partly  open  and  the  lids  appear  slightly 
swollen.  Within  twenty-fonr  to  forty-eight  hours 
nearly  every  animal  in  the  herd  is  affected.  In  those 
that  develop  the  disease  in  its  severe  form  the  lachry- 
mal flow  becomes  pui'ulent  on  about  the  second  day. 
The  cornea  becomes  the  seat  of  an  ulcer,  or  several 
of  them.  In  not  a  few  cases  the  ulceration  continues 
until  perforation  of  the  cornea  results,  staphylomata 
appear  and  the  eye  is  permanently  injured.  A  deposit 
of  pus  may  also  be  seen  along  the  inferior  margin  of 
the  cornea  in  the  anterior  chamber.  Permanent  cor- 
neal and  even  lenticular  opacities  frequently  destroy 
the  sight. 

In  the  mild  cases  the  symptoms  consist  of  profuse 
lachrymation,  and  a  considerable  degree  of  photo- 
phobia. This  disappears  in  three  or  four  days  under 
treatment,  or  even  without  treatment.  In  the  severe 
form  from  two  to  three  weeks  may  elapse  before  the 
disease  runs  its  course,  leaving  one  or  both  eyes  partly 
or  wholly  blind. 

The  treatment  of  this  disease  is  entirely  local,  con- 
sisting of  antiseptic  and  astringent  solutions  and  oint- 
ments. 

In  the  mild  form  we  use  one  per  cent  yellow  oxid 
of  mercury  ointment.  A  small  lump  of  this  ointment 
of  about  the  size  of  a  pea,  is  placed  within  the  lower 
eyelid  near  the  external  canthus  and  the  lids  pressed 
together  a  few  moments,  until  the  ointment  becomes 
warm.  It  is  then  distributed  over  the  interior  surface 
of  the  orbit  by  gentle  massaging  of  the  lids  and  the 
movements  of  the  eye-ball. 

The  animals  should  be  kept  indoors  and  the  stable 
darkened  for  a  few  days.  In  three  to  five  days  re- 
covery is  complete.  In  the  severe  form,  in  which  the 
discharges  from  the  eyes  are  purulent  in  character  a 


EPIZOOTIC  KERATITIS  21 

solution  of  zinc  sulphate  of  from  two  to  four  per  cent 
strength  is  to  be  used.  It  is  best  applied  with  a  small 
glass  syringe  having  a  soft  rubber  tip. 

With  the  owner  or  an  attendant  holding  the  cow's 
head,  the  person  giving  the  treatment  draws  the  lower 
eye-lid  away  from  the  globe,  by  pulling  on  the  lashes ; 
about  a  teaspoonful  of  the  zinc  sulphate  solution  is 
then  squirted  into  the  cup  thus  formed  and  the  lid 
allowed  to  return  to  position.  This  is  repeated  three 
times  daily  until  the  most  acute  symptoms  have  dis- 
appeared. The  treatment  is  then  terminated,  with 
daily  applications  of  the  yellow  oxid  of  mercury  oint- 
ment. In  complicated  cases  that  develop  ulcers  on  the 
cornea  the  ulcers  should  be  touched  up  every  other 
day  with  ten  per  cent  silver  nitrate  solution,  by  means 
of  a  cotton  swab  on  an  applicator.  Staphylomata  that 
occur  in  the  form  of  sacculated  protrusions  of  the 
iris  following  perforation  of  the  cornea  from  ulcer- 
ation, should  be  snipped  off  with  scissors  and  then 
cauterized.  Before  either  the  cauterization  of  an  ulcer 
or  the  ablation  of  the  staphyloma  is  attempted  the  eye 
should  be  anesthetized.  The  simplest  and  most  con- 
venient method  of  anesthetizing  the  eye  is  by  placing 
a  one  grain  quinin-urea  hydrochlorid  tablet  between 
the  lids,  and  waiting  about  twenty  minutes  for  anes- 
thesia to  become  established. 

Collections  of  pus  in  the  lower  part  of  the  anterior 
chamber  of  the  eye  are  best  ignored.  They  usually 
become  absorbed  without  producing  particular  damage. 
Opacities  of  either  the  cornea  or  the  lens  that  remain 
after  the  inflammation  are  best  treated  with  iodides 
internally. 

Synechia  (adhesions  between  the  iris  and  cornea 
anteriorly,  or  the  iris  and  lens  posteriorly)  can  usually 
be  prevented  by  the  addition  of  a  few  drops  of  fluid 


22  SPECIAL  CATTLE  THERAPY 

extract  of  belladonna  (or  a  solution  of  atropin)  to  the 
zinc  sulphate  solution.  This  will  produce  mydriasis 
sufficiently  to  Avithdraw  the  iris  from  the  active  field 
of  the  disease. 

Darkened  quarters  are  essential  in  all  cases,  because 
of  the  marked  photophobia.  The  affected  cattle  should 
be  kept  out  of  bright  light  until  recovery  is  assured. 
Light  should  be  excluded  from  the  stable  by  means 
of  blankets  or  canvas  hung  before  windows  and  doors. 
Bandages  should  not  be  used  with  the  object  of  shield- 
ing or  protecting  the  eye.    Their  use  favors  ulceration. 


CANCER  OF  THE  EYE 

This  condition,  sometimes  termed  fungus  hema- 
toids,  is  decidedly  common  in  cattle.  Only  one  eye 
is  affected  as  a  rule,  and  the  condition  comes  to  the 
attention  of  the  veterinarian  in  various  stages,  from 
the  benign  appearing  granular  growth  on  the  edge  of 
the  cornea  to  the  immense  cauliflower-like  growth  in- 
volving the  entire  orbit. 

Most  of  these  cases  begin  as  a  small,  flat  mass  of 
granular  tissue  near  the  corneo-scleratlc  margin.  The 
mass  stands  off  from  the  globe  quite  prominently  and 
has  the  appearance  of  w^hat  is  commonly  termed 
''proud  flesh."  This  slowly  spreads  over  the  surface 
of  the  eye-ball ;  in  most  cases,  at  first,  in  a  thin,  flat 
layer.  Later,  there  is  a  purulent  flow  of  mucus  from 
the  affected  eye,  and  the  growth  begins  to  assume  the 
form  of  a  ''bunch,"  layer  after  layer  of  now  cells  be- 
ing formed.  This  continues  until  the  growth  projects 
outward  an  inch  or  more.  The  tissue  is  very  vascular ; 
slight  handling  or  touching  in  any  manner  induces 
bleedinej.     Still  later  the  external  surface  of  the  mass 


CANCER  OF  THE  EYE  23 

becomes  necrotic,  assumes  a  blackish-gray  color  and 
constantly  exudes  serum,  pus  and  shreds  of  tissue. 

If  the  disease  is  not  checked  the  growth  continues 
to  increase  in  size,  crowding  the  eye-ball  deep  into  the 
orbit.  Nothing  of  the  eye  itself  can  be  seen;  the  entire 
orbital  cavity  is  filled  with  the  new  growth,  the  lids 
and  orbital  conjunctiva  developing  additional  new 
growths. 

Finally  the  lymphatics  in  the  region  break  down, 
forming  enlargements  on  the  side  of  the  head  and 
parotid  region  that  open  and  discharge  purulent  mat- 
ter.    The  animal  becomes  cachectic  and  finally  dies. 

Treatment  of  cancer  of  the  eye  is  not  very  satis- 
factory. If  the  eye  is  to  be  saved  the  case  must  be 
submitted  to  treatment  as  soon  as  possible  after  the 
first  layer  of  granular  tissue  forms.  If  the  veterinarian 
is  able  to  begin  the  treatment  in  this  stage  he  can 
promise  his  client  fairly  good  results. 

To  handle  the  condition  satisfactorily,  even  at  this 
stage,  it  is  usually  necessary  to  cast  the  cow  and  pro- 
duce profound  anesthesia,  without  which  all  attempts 
at  worthy  treatment  are  usually  converted  into  bungle- 
some  interference.  We  make  this  statement  with  due 
consideration,  following  personal  experience. 

When  the  cow  has  been  chloroformed  the  orbital 
cavity  is  to  be  copiously  irrigated  with  a  very  mild 
bichlorid  or  chinosol  solution.  With  an  eye  speculum 
holding  the  lids  apart  the  layer  of  cells  is  very  care- 
fully shaved  off,  care  being  taken  not  to  injure  the 
healthy  face  of  the  cornea. 

In  this  early  stage  it  will  be  seen  that  the  layer  of 
granulation  tissue  is  underlaid  with  a  thin  ])and  of 
white  connective  tissue.  This  band  is  apparently  the 
foundation  of  the  growth;  it  is  very  intimately  con- 
nected to  the  surface  of  the  cornea.     When  the  soft 


24  SPECIAL  CATTLE  THERAPY 

layer  of  granular  cells  has  been  thoroughly  shaved  off, 
no  attempt  should  be  made  to  remove  the  band  of 
white  tissue  just  named.  We  do  not  disturb  this  with 
the  knife,  but  submit  it  to  a  thorough  cauterization 
with  a  solution  of  bichlorid  of  mercury,  five  grains  to 
an  ounce  of  distilled  water.  This  cauterization  is  per-  • 
formed  with  a  very  small,  firmly  rolled  cotton  swab ; 
it  is  dipped  into  the  solution  until  saturated,  after  ' 
which  most  of  the  solution  is  squeezed  out  so  that  the 
swab  is  just  nicely  moist.  This  is  done  to  prevent  any 
superfluous  solution  from  running  over  the  healthy 
cornea.  The  swab  so  prepared  is  held  and  drawn  over 
the  entire  band  of  white  tissue,  using  moderate  pres- 
sure and  repeating  the  process  seven  or  eight  times, 
using  a  fresh  swab  each  time.  When  the  swabbing  has 
been  completed  the  parts  should  have  a  dry,  woolly 
appearance. 

The  cow  is  allowed  to  revive  from  the  chloroform 
and  nothing  further  done  for  tAventy-four  hours,  at 
the  end  of  which  time  daily  applications  of  a  four  per 
cent  yellow  oxid  of  mercury  ointment  are  begun,  plac- 
ing a  small  piece  of  the  ointment  betw^een  the  lids  only. 
After  a  week  these  applications  are  made  every  other 
day,  until  another  week  has  elapsed.  They  may  then 
be  discontinued  and  the  case  usually  considered  cured. 

An  opaque  area  will  remain  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
original  lesion. 

When  the  disease  has  been  allowed  to  progress  until 
there  are  several  thicknesses  of  granulation  tissue  and 
the  eye  is  discharging  a  muco-purulent  fluid  the  above 
treatment  is  of  no  avail.  If  it  is  demanded  that  some- 
thing be  done  the  surgeon  should  advise  a  complete 
enucleation  of  the  eye  and  its  adnexa.  The  sooner 
this  operation  is  undertaken  the  better.  We  do  not 
advise  enucleation  unless  the  animal  is  especially  valu- 


AMAUEOSIS  25 

able  for  some  reason  or  other.  The  operation  is  not 
always  followed  by  satisfactory  results  and  unless 
there  is  an  exceptionally  good  reason  for  resorting  to 
this  measure  we  recommend  slaughter  in  the  severe 
forms  of  this  disease. 


AMAUROSIS 

This  is  nearly  always  a  disease  of  pregnancy  when 
it  occurs  in  cows.  In  one  instance  a  case  occurred  in 
our  practice  as  a  sequel  to  parturient  paresis. 

The  whole  symptom  complex  of  amaurosis  is  blind- 
ness. 

There  are  no  lesions  in  the  eye  or  in  its  appendages 
which  the  examiner  can  detect ;  the  organs  have  a  per- 
fectly normal  appearance. 

When  the  disease  occurs  during  the  pregnant  state 
it  begins  usually  during  the  last  weeks  of  the  period. 
The  veterinarian  is  informed  that  the  cow  suddenly 
went  blind.  Aside  from  her  inability  to  see,  she  is 
in  good  health. 

Amaurosis  occurring  under  these  conditions  is  a 
transient  disease,  which  disappears  at  parturition  or 
very  soon  thereafter. 

The  case  occurring  in  our  practice  as  a  sequel  to 
parturient  paresis  persisted  for  some  weeks.  Ulti- 
mately a  course  of  potassium  iodid  terminated  the 
case  satisfactorily. 

It  is  very  doubtful  whether  any  treatment  should 
be  attempted  in  cases  occurring  in  the  latter  weeks 
of  gestation.  Knowing  that  the  condition  is  entirely 
the  result  of  the  pregnancy  and  that  it  will  correct 
itself  spontaneously  with  the  arrival  of  the  calf,  we 
can  usually  serve  the  patient  and  our  client  best  by 


26  SPECIAL  CATTLE  THERAPY 

advising  against  direct  interference  with  the  trouble 
by  medical  means.  If  the  condition  should  persist 
after  the  parturition  we  would  advise  a  course  of  po- 
tassium iodid  internally. 

EPISTAXSIS 

Nasal  hemorrhage  can  occur  in  cattle  as  the  result 
of  injuries  and  contusions  under  the  same  circum- 
stances that  it  occurs  in  other  animals. 

The  particular  form  of  epistaxsis  which  Ave  will 
discuss  here  is  that  form  which  occurs  now  and  then 
in  cows  during  the  period  of  gestation,  and  not  as  the 
result  of  trauma. 

The  cows  which  are  the  subjects  of  a  hemorrhage 
of  this  nature  are  generally  aged  cows  in  somewhat 
unthrifty  condition. 

They  are  most  frequently  affected  during  the  lat- 
ter period  of  pregnancy,  usually  when  about  four  to 
six  weeks  before  calving.  The  symptoms  are  pre- 
cipitated by  a  somewhat  profuse  flow  of  blood  from 
one  or  both  nostrils,  amounting  on  occasions  to  sev- 
eral pints. 

The  flow  stops  of  its  own  accord  in  most  cases,  after 
a  few  hours.  The  cow  is  off  feed  for  a  day  or  two  and 
nothing  further  of  note  follows.  After  five  or  six 
days,  sometimes  a  week  or  ten  days,  the  hemorrhage 
recurs,  leaving  the  cow  usually  in  a  dejected,  weak 
condition.  Three  or  four  such  hemorrhages  may 
occur  before  the  close  of  gestation,  after  which  they 
do  not  occur  again.  Evidently  the  pregnant  state  is 
responsible  for  the  condition  in  some  manner,  it  be- 
ing distinctly  a  disease  of  pregnancy. 

If  the  hemorrhages  are  severe  enough  and  recur  at 
short  intervals,  the  cow  is  in  poor  condition  to  sur- 


EPISTAXSIS  27 

vive  the  ordeal  of  parturition  and  its  probable  com- 
plications. The  milk  output  is  decidedly  curtailed  and 
sometimes  entirely  lacking.  If  there  should  happen 
to  be  a  considerable  degree  of  dystocia,  or  an  infec- 
tion following  on  complete  or  partial  retention  of  the 
secundines,  the  cow  will  probably  succumb. 

It  has  been  our  experience  that,  where  the  case 
comes  into  our  hands  at  the  time  of  the  first  hemor- 
rhage or  soon  thereafter,  we  can  carry  the  cow  through 
the  period  of  gestation  to  an  uneventful  parturition, 
and  prevent  recurrence  of  the  hemorrhage. 

Our  remedy  is  iron,  and  we  give  it  in  the  form  of 
the  tincture  of  ferric  chlorid  once  or  twice  a  day  in 
one  ounce  doses,  diluted  with  water.  No  further 
bleeding  occurs  and  the  cow  improves  in  condition 
promptly. 


HEMORRHAGE   FOLLOWING  DEHORNING 

Dehorning  is  now  and  then  followed  by  persistent 
bleeding,  the  subjects  as  a  rule  being  unthrifty  young- 
sters. Fatal  hemorrhage  after  dehorning  is  very  rare, 
but  we  have  seen  alarming  symptoms,  a  good  many 
times,  result  from  prolonged  dripping  in  weakly  stock. 

While  it  is  not  a  very  difficult  matter  to  control 
the  hemorrhage,  the  means  employed  should  do  as 
little  damage  as  possible.  We  have  frequently  seen 
severe  catarrhal  involvement  of  the  sinuses  and  nares 
from  injudicious  treatment  of  a  hemorrhage  of  this 
kind. 

If  the  patient  is  (luite  young  and  tractal)l(',  the  l)est 
means  for  checking  the  bleeding  consists  of  a  wad  of 
absorbent  cotton  and  a  bandage.  The  cotton  can  first 
be  saturated  with  an  ordinary  antiseptic  solution;  it 


28  SPECIAL  CATTLE  THERAPY 

is  then  applied  on  the  horn  stump  and  tightly  ban- 
daged in  place.  If  the  animal  is  confined  in  a  stan- 
chion, a  rope  securely  tied  across  the  stanchion  up- 
rights can  serve  the  purpose  of  keeping  the  head 
raised  for  an  hour  or  two.  The  bandage  may  be  left 
in  place  for  ten  or  fifteen  hours,  after  which  it  is  cut 
across  and  allowed  to  come  off  of  its  own  accord. 

In  other  animals,  or  those  which  will  not  submit  to 
bandaging,  the  best  effect  is  obtained  from  prolonged 
irrigation  of  the  bleeding  stump  with  a  very  warm 
solution  of  potassium  permanganate  not  more  than 
one  per  cent  strength.  Fifteen  minutes  of  continued 
irrigation  with  this  agent  by  means  of  a  fountain 
syringe  gives  good  results.  The  syringe  should  be 
hung  high  enough  to  give  considerable  force  to  the 
stream.  In  all  cases  the  head  should  be  held  high  by 
means  of  halters  and  ropes. 

A  hypodermic  injection  of  atropin  sulphate,  from 
one-fourth  to  one-half  grain,  assists  materially  in 
checking  the  flow. 

We  condemn  the  use  of  Monsell's  solution  and  Mon- 
sell's  powder  in  hemorrhages  of  this  nature.  "When 
the  solution  is  used,  sinus  and  nasal  catarrh  result 
almost  every  time ;  when  the  powder  is  used,  suppura- 
tion always  occurs  under  the  scab  around  the  base 
of  the  stump. 


WIRE  CUTS  29 


WIRE  CUTS  AND  OTHER  LACERATED  INJURIES 

Space  is  devoted  in  this  treatise  to  the  above  con- 
ditions chiefly  with  the  object  of  impressing  on  the 
practitioner  the  fact  that  even  the  most  extensive  cuts 
and  tears  unite  beautifully  with  proper  suturing. 

This  is  especially  noteworthy  when  the  cuts  or  lacera- 
tions are  in  a  location  where  no  tendons  or  articula- 
tions are  involved  in  the  trauma. 

Sutures  should  be  set  well  back  from  the  edges  of 
the  wound  and  a  heavy,  braided  silk  suture  material 
should  be  used.  If  care  is  taken  to  provide  ordinary 
drainage  for  the  wound,  the  sutures  will  not  tear  or 
slough  out,  but  remain  in  place  until  healing  is  com- 
plete. It  is  well  to  select  a  strong  needle  for  the 
purpose  and  a  needle  holder  is  almost  indispensable 
because  of  the  extreme  toughness  of  the  skin. 

A  daily  irrigation  of  the  wound  with  an  antiseptic 
solution  is  all  that  is  necessaTy  as  after-treatment. 
Exuberant  granulations  do  not  occur. 

Wounds  of  this  nature  treated  during  the  warm 
months  must  be  protected  from  the  activities  of  flies. 
For  this  purpose  we  find  an  excellent  and  cheap 
preparation  in  one  part  oil  of  cajuput  shaken  up  with 
two  parts  of  olive  oil.  This  is  painted  around  the 
edges  of  the  wound  with  a  small  brush  or  feather 
several  times  daily.  The  oil  of  cajuput  alone  acts 
very  well  as  a  ''fly-chaser,"  but  used  alone  repeat- 
edly it  is  slightly  irritating  and  evaporates  too  quickly. 
The  olive  oil  overcomes  both  of  these  objections. 

Another  satisfactory  fly  repellent  is  composed  of 
phenol  one  part;  turpentine  one  part,  and  olive  oil  or 
cottonseed  oil  sixteen  parts. 


30  SPECIAL  CATTLE  THERAPY 


ACUTE  ARTHRITIS 

Acute  arthritis  is  seen  quite  frequently  in  cows. 
The  most  common  seat  is  the  hock.  A  causative  factor 
in  its  localization  in  the  hock  joint  is  an  excessively 
deep  gutter,  especially  of  cement  construction,  in 
dairy  barns. 

The  symptoms  of  acute  arthritis  here  are  great 
lameness  in  the  affected  leg  and  swelling  of  the  region 
of  the  hock.  This  swelling  is  sharply  circumscribed, 
is  hot  to  the  touch  and  xerj  painful  on  pressure.  The 
affected  leg  is  held  up  in  extreme  flexion  and  usually 
spasmodic  jerk}^  movements  are  gone  through,  very 
much  as  in  the  horse. 

The  temperature  is  raised  considerably  and  the  cow 
refuses  her  feed.  If  the  condition  is  not  treated  at 
this  time,  the  acute  sjanptoms  gradually  disappear. 
A  hard,  firm  swelling,  osseous  in  consistency,  remains 
in  the  hock  and  the  muscles  on  the  affected  side  from 
the  hip  down,  slowly  atrophy.  Apparently  this  form 
of  arthritis  in  cows  takes  the  form  of  what  w^as  for- 
merly spoken  of  as  arthritis  deformans.  Pus  forma- 
tion is  unknoAvn. 

In  my  experience  the  best  results  in  treatment  have 
come  from  blistering.  No  matter  whether  the  acute 
or  sub-acute  stage,  a  good,  sharp  blister,  repeated  as 
necessary,  gives  fairly  satisfactory  results.  While  the 
hock  usually  remains  enlarged  to  some  extent,  it  does 
not  seem  to  cause  any  trouble  later.  Some  of  these 
cases  recur  at  intervals.  A  tonic  should  always  be 
given  in  these  cases  and  a  box  stall  provided  until 
lameness  disappears.  When  the  blister  is  applied  to 
the  hock,  care  must  be  taken  to  properly  protect  the 
udder  from  the  "iDlister.    Also  w^hen  recovery  has  taken 


FRACTURES  31 

place,  defects  in  the  stable  at  the  place  where  the  cow 
stands  must  be  improved  so  as  to  prevent  a  recui^- 
rerce  from  the  same  cause. 


FRACTURES 

While  fractures  of  the  bones  of  the  limbs  are  not 
as  common  in  cattle  as  in  equine  subjects,  they  do 
occur  occasionally. 

On  general  principles  it  can  l)e  said  that  fractures 
of  the  legs  in  cattle  condemn  the  animal  to  death 
at  once.  Unless  the  accident  occurs  in  a  very  young 
animal  or  an  animal  of  great  value  for  breeding  pur- 
poses, the  veterinarian  usually  serves  his  client  best 
by  recommending  the  destruction  of  the  animal  at 
once.  There  is  one  possible  exception  to  this:  simple 
fracture  of  the  canon  bone  in  an  anterior  limb.  If 
the  animal  is  in  good  condition  in  other  respects  we 
occasionally  recommend  the  treatment  of  these  cases. 
The  treatment  does  not  differ  from  that  in  other  ani- 
mals  similarly  affected. 

Fractures  of  the  pelvis  .occur  with  some  frequency 
in  cattle  and  frequently  heal  without  treatment.  They 
are  of  importance  chiefly  as  contributing  to  subse- 
quent maternal   dystokia. 

Fractures  of  the  ribs  are  also  quite  frequent  in  cat- 
tle. Comminuted  fractures  of  ribs  in  cows  usually 
terminuate  in  necrosis  and  extensive  sloughing  and 
abscess  formation.  The  abscesses  are  to  be  drained 
and  the  sequestra  removed.     Rarely  empyema  results. 

Fractures  of  the  phalanges  are  quite  amenable  to 
treatment  in  cattle ;  however,  they  always  terminate 
in  a  permanent  lameness  and  deformity,  resembling 
ringbone  formations. 


32  SPECIAL  CATTLE  THERAPY 

HYGROMA 

Practically  the  only  seat  of  a  hygroma  in  cows  is  the 
anterior  face  of  the  carpus,  resulting  probably  from 
bruises  contracted  in  the  act  of  getting  up.  Again 
some  stanchions  and  mangers  are  so  arranged  that 
the  cows  kneel  a  great  deal  of  the  time  while  feeding 
and  this  results  in  bruising  the  anterior  surface  of  the 
knees  and  the  formation  of  hygromas. 

Hygromas  in  this  location  have  been  seen  in  cattle 
frequently,  some  of  them  of  immense  size.  Even  small 
h3^gromas  in  the  region  named  seriously  interfere  with 
the  movements  of  the  limb  and  in  many  cases  the  cow 
finds  it  almost  impossible  to  arise  when  lying  down, 
or  to  assume  recumbency  when  standing.  A  case 
came  to  our  attention  in  which  the  tumor  had  attained 
the  dimensions  of  a  small  cocoanut,  making  it  very 
difficult  for  the  animal  to  get  up  or  to  lie  down.  The 
owner  informed  us  that  the  cow  had  to  be  given 
assistance  in  getting  up ;  she  would  then  remain  in  the 
standing  position  for  several  days  at  a  time. 

The  treatment  of  this  condition  is  almost  wholly 
surgical. 

With  the  COAV  in .  the  recumbent  position  and  the 
affected  limb  fully  extended,  a  free  incision  is  made 
along  the  antero-inferior  surface  of  the  tumor,  carrj^- 
ing  the  incision  well  into  the  center.  When  the  knife 
penetrates  to  the  center  of  the  tumor,  a  quantity  of 
more  or  less  organized  synovia,  or  even  pus,  makes 
its  escape. 

The  cavity  in  the  center  of  the  tumor  is  then  in- 
jected with  several  ounces  of  pure  tincture  of  iodin, 
allowing  it  to  remain  for  a  minute  or  two.  It  is  then 
flushed  out  with  sterile  water  until  the  water  returns 
clear. 


HYGROMA  33 

A  wad  of  cotton  or  strip  of  gauze  saturated  with 
equal  parts  of  oleum  lini  and  turpentine  is  then  packed 
snugly  into  the  cavity,  allowing  a  small  portion  of 
the  packing  to  protrude  from  the  wound.  This  pack- 
ing is  to  be  renewed  every  twenty-four  hours,  and 
the  external  surface  of  the  tumor  is  to  be  painted 
daily  with  tincture  of  iodin. 

At  the  end  of  ten  days  or  two  weeks  the  tumor  will 
have  decreased  to  such  an  extent  that  interference 
with  the  movements  of  the  limb  will  be  abolished.  If 
it  is  desired  that  the  entire  growth  disappear,  the 
incision  can  be  renewed  and  the  treatment  persisted 
in  for  another  week  or  two.  The  iodin  applications 
externally  can  be  kept  up  alone  somewhat  longer. 

If,  for  any  reason,  it  is  desired  that  the  size  of 
the  hygroma  be  reduced  more  quickly,  the  injection 
of  fibrolysin,  as  recommended  in  ''Special  Veterinary 
Therapy''  (page  12),  will  accomplish  the  object  very 
satisfactorily. 

As  the  daily  removal  and  insertion  of  the  packing 
in  the  foregoing  treatment  must  usually  be  left  to  the 
owners  or  the  attendants,  they  should  be  thoroughly 
instructed  in  observing  the  most  regular  antiseptic  pre- 
cautions. If  this  is  ignored,  grave  infections  may 
occur  and  result  in  the  death  of  the  cow. 


34  SPECIAL  CATTLE  THERAPY 


INGESTED  FOREIGN  BODIES 

Under  this  head  Ave  will  discuss  those  conditions 
which  occasionally  develop  in  cattle  from  swallowing 
hard  substances,  such  as  pieces  of  iron,  wire,  nails, 
hairpins,  and  similar  objects. 

The  habit  of  ingesting  foreign  material  such  as  that 
described  above  seems  to  be  a  normal  one  in  cattle. 
Nearly  all  cattle  examined  postmortem  are  found  to 
contain  in  the  rumen  and  other  parts  of  the  alimen- 
tary tract  numbers  of  such  objects.  Apparently  they 
rarely  do  harm ;  at  least  they  ordinarily  give  no  sign 
of  their  presence  during  the  life  of  the  animal. 

Under  certain  conditions,  however,  the  ingestion  of 
hard  foreign  objects  produces  results  which  are  quite 
serious  and  frequently  fatal. 

In  such  cases  the  offending  object  is  usually  of  iron, 
steel  or  wire  in  the  form  of  elongated  pieces  with  a 
pointed  extremity.  It  may  be  that  the  sharp  end  of 
the  object  becomes  lodged  between  folds  of  mucous 
membrane,  or  that  it  enters  the  mouth  of  the  ducts  of 
some  gland.  The  peristaltic  movements  and  contrac- 
tions assist  in  implanting  or  embedding  the  object  to 
such  a  degree  that  it  remains  lodged.  Necrosis  at  the 
point  of  lodgement  occurs  and  the  object  penetrates 
into  the  peritoneal  cavity  or  into  contiguous  organs 
such  as  the  liver,  spleen,  through  the  diaphragm  and 
the  heart  or  lungs. 

Nails,  pieces  of  baling  wire,  and  similar  objects, 
have  been  found  on  postmortem  examination  in  almost 
all  organs,  not  excepting  the  heart,  and  in  many  in- 
stances the  animal  suffered  no  ill  effects  apparent  to 
the  eye  during  its  lifetime;  although  in  some  cases 
the  object  had  traversed  the  length  of  the  abdominal 


INGESTED  FOREIGN  BODIES  35 

and  thoracic  cavities  before  it  became  permanently 
located. 

In  other  cases  which  have  been  reported  by  veteri- 
narians similar  objects  have  sloughed  through  the 
abdominal  wall  and  made  their  appearance  and  es- 
cape from  the  body,  the  cow  suffering  no  particular 
ill  effects. 

In  many  cases,  however,  serious  damage  is  done  and 
grave  consequences,  or  even  death,  may  result  from 
the  passage  of  foreign  bodies  through,  or  into,  the 
abdominal  cavity  and  other  organs. 

Death  may  be  caused  in  such  cases  by  the  direct 
presence  of  the  object  interfering  with  the  proper 
performance  of  function  in  an  organ;  by  inflamma- 
tory or  necrotic  processes  developing  in  the  region  of 
the  object;  and  by  secondary  pathological  conditions 
occurring  as  the  result  of  damage  done  by  the  object. 

The  diagnosis  of  abnormal  conditions  produced  by 
the  emigration  of  foreign  bodies  is  not  easy.  With 
very  few  exceptions,  the  diagnosis  can  be  made  cer- 
tain only  on  postmortem  examination.  If  laparotomy 
were  more  practical  in  cattle  it  might  on  certain  occa- 
sions be  resorted  to  in  the  diagnoses  of  conditions  in 
which  foreign  bodies  are  suspected.  Dr.  John  K.  Boss- 
hardt,  of  Camden,  N.  Y.,  has  performed  a  consider- 
able number  of  successful  laparotomies  in  cattle  for 
intestinal  invagination.  For  him  it  is  from  all  appear- 
ances an  ordinary  proceeding.  The  average  veteri- 
narian, however,  as  a  rule  does  not  transgress  to  any 
great  extent  on  the  abdominal  viscera  in  a  surgical 
manner.  We  rely  for  diagnostic  purposes  chiefly  on 
our  powders  of  observation,  on  our  sense  of  touch,  and 
other  ordinary  means. 

The  symptoms  produced  by  foreign  bodies  which 
leave  the  intestinal  or  alimentary  tract  vary,  of  course. 


36  SPECIAL  CATTLE  THERAPY 

with  the  extent  of  the  lesions  produced,  and  the  or- 
gans involved. 

The  usual  history  in  eases  due  to  the  action  of  for- 
eign bodies  is  that  the  cow  has  been  suffering  from 
inappetence  for  a  long  time.  For  weeks  she  has  not 
been  a  hearty  eater  and  she  looks  unthrifty.  At 
times  she  has  had  the  appearance  of  a  cow  suffering 
dull  pains;  she  stands  almost  immovable  for  hours. 
The  expression  of  the  countenance  is  that  described 
as  '^haggard"  or  ''anxious";  she  frequently  grinds 
her  teeth.  At  other  times  she  has  had  slightly  colicky 
pains.  This  covers  the  general  initial  symptoms  in 
all  cases.  Now  come  special  symptoms,  varying  from 
now  on  with  the  course  pursued  by  the  object  in  its 
movement  within  the  body. 

When  the  object  penetrates  and  severely  injures 
the  peritoneum,  the  special  symptoms  are  those  of 
peritonitis,  with  possibly  perforation  of  the  abdominal 
wall  and  the  liberation  of  the  object. 

When  the  liver  has  been  injured  seriously  by  the 
object  the  symptoms  do  not  vary  from  those  occur- 
ring when  the  object  injures  the  heart.  We  find  in 
either  instance  a  set  of  symptoms  which  duplicate 
almost  entirely  those  symptoms  seen  in  infection  with 
Distoma  hepaticum.  The  symptoms  due  to  foreign 
bodies,  however,  develop  more  gradually  and  persist 
for  a  greater  length  of  time.  Another  point  of  dif- 
ferentiation lies  in  the  color  of  the  fluid  in  the  drop- 
sical swellings;  that  found  in  cases  of  infection  with 
the  liver  fluke  is  clear  as  water.  The  fluid  contained 
in  the  dropsical  swellings  caused  by  injuries  to  the 
liver  and  heart  from  foreign  bodies  is  either  yellowish 
or  tinged  with  blood.  Also,  in  the  latter  cases,  the 
hide  does  not  peel  off  as  in  liver  rot. 


INGESTED  FOREIGN  BODIES  37 

When  a  foreign  body  damages  the  lung  tissue  or 
becomes  lodged  therein,  the  symptoms  are  either  those 
of  pulmonary  gangrene  or  of  pulmonary  tuberculosis; 
the  former  when  the  object  is  en  route  through  the 
lung  tissue,  the  latter  when  it  has  lodged  there  per- 
manently. 

An  exact  diagnosis  can  hardly  ever  be  made  with 
assurance.  The  diagnosis  can  be  made  with  reason- 
able certainty  when  either  the  liver  or  the  heart  is 
involved. 

The  treatment  of  conditions  produced  by  foreign 
bodies  which  have  been  swallowed  and  then  go  through 
a  period  of  wandering  about  in  the  body  cavities  can 
only  be  symptomatic  and  expectant.  If  the  veteri- 
narian can  be  reasonably  certain  that  the  object  is  in 
a  portion  of  the  peritoneal  cavity  where  it  can  be 
reached  and  safely  removed  through  laparotomy,  he 
would  be  justified  in  undertaking  the  operation. 

In  all  other  locations  the  symptoms  can  only  be 
treated  as  they  arise. 


38  SPECIAL  CATTLE  THERAPY 


THUROW'S  DISEASE 

Thurow's  disease  is  a  condition  which  is  seen  now 
and  then  in  cattle  and  presents  itself  in  the  form  of 
a  distention  of  the  subcutaneous  tissues  w^ith  gas.  It 
is  always  a  hyper-acute  condition  and  at  times  accom- 
panied by  most  alarming  manifestations. 

Thurow's  disease  most  frequently  affects  cows  at  the 
height  of  the  milking  period,  and  apparently  the  na- 
ture of  the  feed  has  no  bearing  on  the  disease.  It  has 
been  seen  in  cows  on  pasture  as  well  as  in  cows  sta- 
bled and  fed  only  dry  feed. 

The  symptoms  of  this  disease  are  always  the  same 
and,  in  our  experience,  the  disease  never  appears  in 
an  atypical  form.  The  history,  course  and  termiRa- 
tion  are   the   same   in  practically   every   case. 

The  cow  stops  eating  suddenly,  sometimes  abruptly, 
so  that  the  last  mouthful  of  feed  is  held  between  the 
lips.  The  animal  seems  terribly  distressed  almost  in- 
stantly and  stands  immovable.  Breathing  becomes 
rapid  and  labored;  salivation  and  lachrymation  be- 
come marked.  Defecation  and  micturition  seem  to  be 
performed  involuntarily  or  spontaneously.  The  ani- 
mal trembles  markedly  and  soon  begins  to  shift  her 
weight  from  one  leg  to  the  other  repeatedly.  AVhile 
the  observer  is  looking  on  he  sees  the  cow  growing  in 
size;  the  distention  is  not  confined  to  any  particular 
region  but  seems  to  be  general.  The  sides  of  the  neck, 
shoulders,  thorax,  flanks,  hips,  thighs,  udder^ — in  fact, 
the  entire  integument — seems  to  undergo  inflation. 

This  distention  takes  place  so  rapidly  that  in  the 
course  of  a  half  hour  the  animal  bears  but  little 
resemblance  to  a  cow. 

If  death  does  not  supervene  in  the  course  of  an 
hour  or  two,  the  swelling  begins  to  recede;   in  the 


THUROWS  DISEASE  39 

course  of  another  hour,  every  trace  of  it  will  have 
disappeared,  and  the  cow,  aside  from  appearing  some- 
what ^' dopey,"  will  be  apparently  none  the  worse 
for  the  experience.  In  most  cases  the  attack  will  have 
run  its  course  by  the  time  the  veterinarian  arrives. 

Our  experience  records  no  deaths  from  Thurow's  dis- 
ease ;  two  cases  which  occurred  in  our  practice  re- 
cently, within  a  few  weeks  of  each  other,  recovered 
within  an  hour  or  two.  Where  we  arrive  early  enough 
to  attend  the  cow  in  the  attack  we  refrain  from  ad- 
ministering any  medicinal  treament  if  we  observe 
that  the  condition  is  beginning  to  correct  itself. 

Should  the  condition  be  in  the  ascendency  when  we 
arrive,  we  administer  intestinal  antiseptics,  such  as 
salol,  sulpho-carbolates,  or  permanganate  of  potas- 
sium. Stimulants,  such  as  aromatic  spirits  of  ammo- 
nia, also  seem  to  benefit. 

There  appear  to  be  no  sequela?  to  this  disease ;  the 
cow  resumes  feeding  the  same  day,  and  aside  from  a 
moderate  diminution  in  the  milk  output  for  a  day  or 
two,  no  bad  results  follow. 


40  SPECIAL  CATTLE  THERAPY 


TYMPANITES 

By  the  term  tympanites  in  cattle  is  understood,  as 
a  general  rule,  the  distention  of  the  rumen  with  gas 
as  an  acute  condition  or  clinical  entity. 

Tympanites  frequently  becomes  fully  established 
within  a  few  minutes  to  an  hour  after  the  ingestion 
of  certain  feeds,  such  as  clover  or  alfalfa.  When  it 
results  from  the  ingestion  of  dry  feed  it  develops 
more  slowly  and  usually  does  not  assume  such  serious 
proportions. 

Tympanites  resulting  from  the  ingestion  of  green 
food  may  progress  so  rapidly  as  to  cause  death  from 
suffocation  within  ten  to  twenty  minutes. 

The  symptoms  of  tympanites  are  always  the  same 
and  leave  no  room  for  doubt  in  diagnosis. 

When  the  veterinarian  arrives  he  usually  finds  the 
cow  gasping  for  breath,  the  mouth  wide  open,  and 
the  tongue  protruding.  The  left  flank  is  immensely 
distended  and  the  cow  constantly  shifts  her  weight 
from  one  hind  leg  to  the  other.  Some  cases  are  ac- 
companied by  vomition.  Apparently  the  sensation 
endured  by  the  cow  is  more  one  of  distress  than  of 
acute  pain.  Only  occasionally  does  a  cow  show  signs 
of  acute  pain  with  tympanites. 

The  treatment  of  tympanites  is  both  surgical  and 
medicinal. 

The  surgical  end  of  the  treatment  consists  of  tap- 
ping the  rumen  with  a  large  trocar  and  canula, 
thereby  permitting  the  escape  of  the  gas.  The  rule 
in  our  practice  calling  for  tapping  is  the  opening  of 
the   mouth. 

Although  the  cow  may  be  immensely  bloated,  we 
do  not  resort  to  the  trocar  unless  the  cow  is  so  dis- 


TYMPANITES  41 

tressed  that  she  opens  her  mouth  in  the  attempt  to 
breathe.  As  long  as  she  keeps  her  mouth  closed, 
breathing  through  the  nose,  we  find  that  we  are  able 
to  give  relief  by  medicinal  means  alone. 

In  those  cases  in  which  the  cow  breathes  only  spar- 
ingly, with  mouth  agape  and  tongue  protruding,  no 
time  should  be  lost  in  performing  the  tapping  opera- 
tion. A  large  cattle  trocar  should  always  be  used, 
forcing  it  into  the  distended  rumen  slightly  below  the 
middle  of  the  most  prominent  point  In  the  triangle 
formed  by  the  last  rib,  lumbar  vertebrae  and  external 
angle  of  the  ilium,  causing  the  instrument  to  take 
the  direction  of  '' inward,  downw^ard,  and  slightly  for- 
ward." 

Ordinarily  no  time  is  wasted  in  cleaning  up  the 
seat  of  operation. 

The  veterinarian's  trocar  should  be  in  a  surgically 
clean  condition  always,  so  that  he  may  not  be  required 
to  choose  between  two  alternatives :  one,  that  of  en- 
dangering the  life  of  the  cow  by  postponing  the 
operation  until  he  can  sterilize  his  trocar;  the  other, 
that  of  jeopardizing  the  ultimate  smooth  result  of  the 
operation  by  taking  a  chance  on  infection  resulting 
from  tapping  the  animal  with  a  dirty  trocar. 

In  passing  or  entering  the  trocar  the  veterinarian 
should  assume  such  a  position  that  he  may  avoid  being 
kicked  by  the  cow.  Many  cows  will  make  a  fairly 
good  attempt  at  reaching  the  doctor  with  a  hind  foot 
when  the  trocar  is  forced  in,  although  they  are  to 
all  appearances  near  collapse  from  suffocation.  This 
point  is  one  of  the  reasons  that  we  say  the  cow 
evidently  does  not  suffer  greatly  from  pain  in  this  con- 
dition. Were  the  animaPs  distressed  condition  the  re- 
sult of  extreme  pain,  the  entrance  of  the  trocar  would 
probably  not  be  noticed. 


42  SPECIAL  CATTLE  THERAPY 

When  the  instrument  has  been  entered  the  trocar 
is  pulled  out  of  the  canula  at  once,  allowing  gas  and 
food  particles  to  spurt  out.  It  is  well  to  stajid  to 
one  side  when  this  is  done,  because  frequently  fluids 
are  forced  out  far  enough  to  soil  the  surgeon's  clothes. 
When  portions  of  ingesta  block  the  lumen  of  the  can- 
ula, tliQ  trpcar  is  passed  in  and  out  a  few  times  to 
dislodge  them. 

'If  proper  medicinal  treatment  is  at  hand  so  that 
it  can  be  at  once  administered,  the  canula  may  be 
withdrawn  as  soon  as  the  distention  has  gone  down. 
If  it  is  not  convenient  to  administer  correct  medicinal 
treatment  at  once,  the  canula  should  be  left  in  place 
until  all  danger  of  a  renewal  of  the  gas  distention 
is  past,  if  necessary  for  several  hours.  During  this 
time  some  one  should  remain  in  attendance  for  the 
purpose  of  keeping  the  canula  free  from  blocking  with 
food. 

When  the  canula  is  to  be  removed,  the  trocar  should 
first  be  passed  into  it,  removing  the  trocar  and  canula 
together  with  one  or  two  quick  jerks.  The  point  of 
entrance  should  be  given  a  thorough  application  of 
tincture  of  iodin. 

Administration  of  medicaments  through  the  canula 
for  the  abatement  of  the  fermentive  process  in  the 
rumen  we  have  found  w^holly  unsatisfactory.  In  the 
medicinal  treatment  of  this  condition  w^e  have  ob- 
tained the  best,  most  prompt,  and  most  satisfactorily 
uniform  results  from  four  ounces  each  of  aromatic 
spirits  of  ammonia  and  oil  of  turpentine,  administered 
m  a  pint  or  two  of  w^ater  in  the  form  of  a  drench. 
Credit  for  this  treatment  belongs  to  Dr.  J.  M.  Wright, 
formerly  of  Chicago  but  now  retired.  Even  severely 
grave  attacks  of  tympanites  yield  almost  instantly  to 
one  such  dose.    In  a  period  of  practice  covering  more 


TYMPANITES  43 

than  ten  years  we  can  not  recall  more  than  two  or 
three   cases  requiring  the  second  dose. 

Potassium  permanganate  takes  second  place  in  the 
medical  treatment  of  tympanites.  One  dram  dissolved 
in  a  quart  of  water  and  given  as  a  drench  will  ter- 
minate  ordinary    cases   favorably   in   a   few   minutes. 

Complete  abstinence  from  all  food  for  at  least  twelve 
hours  should  be  the  rule  after  an  attack  of  tympa- 
nites of  moderate  severity,  and  for  twenty-four  hours 
after   an   attack   requiring  tapping. 

Abscess  formation  is  an  occasional  sequel  to  tap- 
ping for  tympanites.  Proper  drainage  by  surgical  in- 
cision effects  prompt  recovery  if  treatment  is  com- 
menced promptly. 


SURFEIT  IN  FAMILY  COWS 

One  of  the  pathological  phenomena  which  attacks 
the  family  cow  is  a  condition  which  merits  some 
space  in  any  treatise  on  cattle  diseases,  although  it  is 
a  very  benign  and  transient  trouble  if  properly  han- 
dled.    This  condition  is  over-feeding. 

Most  veterinarians  have  a  few  clients  in  town  who 
keep  a  cow;  also,  most  veterinarians  have  no  love  for 
the  family  cow.  Some  of  the  most  obscure,  atypical 
diseased  conditions  can  be  seen  in  the  family  coav, 
and,  as  a  patient,  the  family-town-cow  is  in  a  class 
by  herself. 

Surfeit  is  of  frequent  occurrence  in  these  patients, 
and  presents  such  variable  clinical  aspects  that  the 
symptoms  are  difficult  to  tabulate.  In  our  practice 
we  have  formed  the  habit  of  diagnosing  as  surfeit  all 
irregular  or  atypical  conditions  in  town  cows  and  treat- 
ing them  as  such;   at  least,  until  something  definite 


44  SPECIAL  CATTLE  THERAPY 

can  be  made  out.  And  in  most  instances  we  are  not 
deceived. 

A  list  of  the  variable  quantities  and  varieties  of 
feeds  which  are  thrown  to  the  family  cow  would 
be  a  very  long  one.  We  have  known  of  family  cows 
that  received  regularly  the  meat  scraps  from  the  table 
and  apparently  relished  them;  this,  of  course,  in  addi- 
tion to  the  usual  grain  and  hay  ration. 

Only  a  few  days  ago  we  had  under  our  care  a  fam- 
ily cow  that  is  now  sixteen  years  old  and  has  never 
been  given  a  drink  of  clear  water;  bran  slops  are  as 
near  a  drink  of  w^ater  as  she  ever  gets.  Nearly  every 
v^eterinarian  knows  of  equally  odd  instances.  It  if' 
chiefly  for  this  reason  that  we  say  the  veterinarian, 
in  most  cases,  will  not  be  greatly  in  error  when  he 
attributes  most  of  the  obscure,  irregular  attacks  of  in- 
disposition in  the  family  cow  to  errors  in  feeding :  first, 
excessive  feeding,   and  second,   injudicious  foods. 

Complete  abstinence  from  all  feed  for  from  twelve 
to  twenty-four  hours,  with  a  moderate  dose  of  saline 
physic,  or  a  few  doses  of  intestinal  antiseptics,  are 
usually  sufficient  to  straighten  the  case  out. 

In  regard  to  the  matter  of  complete  abstinence  from 
all  feed,  the  veterinarian  must  be  firm  and  emphatic. 
Many  family  cows  are  the  idol  of  the  family  they 
supply  with  milk,  and  often  it  is  no  easy  task  to  carry 
out  the  starvation  treatment. 


PERSISTENT  ANOREXIA  45 


PERSISTENT  ANOREXIA 

This  seems  perhaps  an  odd.  name.  Anorexia  or  lack 
of  appetite  usually  is  only  one  of  the  symptoms  of  a 
disease.  In  the  condition  I  am  about  to  speak  of, 
anorexia  is  the  whole  disease  and  the  whole  symptom- 
atology. 

These  are  aggravating  cases  for  the  veterinarian. 
To  the  owner  the  case  appears  very  simple;  the  cow 
''just  won't  eat  anything."  Nothing  else  of  an  ab- 
normal nature  can  be  seen.  Cases  have  been  reported 
in  which  the  inappetence  or  anorexia  persisted  for  two 
weeks  without  any  evidence  of  other  disease  or  a  sign 
upon  which  to  base  a  diagnosis. 

In  my  own  experience  I  have  never  been  able  to 
make  a  definite  diagnosis  in  these  cases,  and  other 
experienced  practitioners  with  whom  I  have  discussed 
this  subject  make  the  same  confession.  The  cow 
simply  (and  merely,  and  only,  and  every  other  which 
way)  won't  eat.  That  is  all.  Examine  her  as  care- 
fully and  as  thoroughly  as  you  can  and  you  disclose 
absolutely  nothing  else  which  will  help  you  in  diag- 
nosis. For  this  reason  I  know  of  no  better  name  for 
the  condition  than  that  of  ''persistent  anorexia." 

Because  the  loss  of  appetite  is  the  only  symptom, 
the  owner  usually  does  not  call  the  veterinarian  in 
until  the  case  has  been  running  along  two  or  three 
days.  In  any  other  disease  than  a  case  of  persistent 
anorexia  the  cow  would  have  developed  more  or  less 
positive  signs  pointing  to  the  nature  of  the  trouble 
in  such  a  period  of  time.  In  persistent  anorexia,  how- 
ever, nothing  has  developed.  The  owner  tells  you  she 
has  not  eaten  for  so  and  so  long  and  she  won't  eat 
now.     AVhen  you  get  through  with  your  examination, 


46  SPECIAL  CATTLE  THERAPY 

you  know  no  more;  first,  last,  and  all  the  time,  ''she 
simply  won 't  eat. ' ' 

The  prognosis  must  be  very  guarded.  The  cow  may 
begin  to  eat  again  very  shortly  after  you  have  pre- 
scribed for  her,  and  then  again  she  may  not  come 
back  to  feeding  for  a  week  or  more. 

In  my  practice  I  have  tried  many  different  rem- 
edies for  this  condition.  Laitil  we  discover  the  cause 
or  the  nature  of  this  ailment,  our  treatment  will  be 
more  or  less  empirical,  and  to  my  knowledge  the 
pathology  in  persistent  anorexia  has  never  been  ex- 
plained. My  best  results  have  come  from  agents  acid 
in  reaction;  lately,  I  use  dilute  acetic  acid,  giving  two 
ounces  morning  and  evening  for  two  or  three  days, 
with  an  equal  amount  of  water. 


PICA 

This  name  has  been  given  to  a  diseased  condition 
affecting  cattle  that  is  characterized  chiefly  by  a  de- 
praved appetite. 

It  is  doubtful  whether  pica  is  in  itself  a  disease. 
It  is  highly  probable  that  it  is  only  a  symptom  of 
certain  pathological  changes  which  are  the  result  of 
disturbance   in  ceitain  metabolic  processes. 

The  habit  of  ingesting  indigestible  objects  can  al- 
most be  said  to  be  normal  in  cattle.  Therefore,  it 
would  appear  that  an  exaggeration  of  this  habit  could 
be  easily  induced  under  conditions  which  would  have 
a  tendency  to  disturb  the  anabolic  equilibrium;  such 
conditions,  for  instance,  as  might  l)e  induced  by  an 
unbalanced  ration. 

Pica  is  a  condition  which  affects  the  family  cow  most 
frequently;  it  is  only  rarely  seen  in  herd  animals. 


PICA  47 

There  are  practically  no  other  symptoms  beside  the 
depraved  appetite. 

The  cow  seems  to  have  a  craving  for  roughness, 
such  as  pieces  of  leather,  rags,  crockery,  mortar,  pieces 
of  wood,  metal,  dirt,  and  so  forth.  She  picks  these 
objects  up  and  apparently  has  a  relish  for  them, 
frequently  ignoring  good  feed  for  the  sake  of  chewing 
up  and  swallowing  an  old  shoe.  She  does  this  not 
only  occasionally  and  casually,  as  all  cows  do  nor- 
mally, but  ravenously  and  persistently  and  contin- 
ually. In  very  aggravated  cases  the  animal's  coat 
lacks  gloss,  and  constipation  may  be  present.  If  not 
properly  treated,  some  cases  of  pica  persist  indefi- 
nitely, the  cow  gets  poor  in  condition  and  may  de- 
velop a  variety  of  conditions.  In  other  instances,  pica 
is  a  very  transient  condition,  which  disappears  in  a 
few  days  after  it  begins  to  attract  attention. 

The  treatment  of  this  affection  begins  with  an  in- 
vestigation of  the  ration  fed.  The  condition  can  usually 
be  promptly  terminated  with  the  inauguration  of 
measures  assuring  a  properly  balanced  ration. 

In  other  instances,  free  access  to  an  unlimited  sup- 
ply of  salt  is  all  that  is  necessary. 

In  cases  which  occur  under  good  feeding  conditions 
and  in  which  salt  treatment  fails  to  correct  the  trou- 
ble, the  cow  is  given  a  saline  purgative.  AVhen  the 
purgative  has  acted,  two  or  three  drams  of  resublimed 
iodin  is  given  in  a  capsule.  Nothing  further  is  re- 
quired as  a  rule.  After  a  prolonged  siege  of  pica  it  is 
always  a  good  plan  to  examine  the  cow's  mouth  for 
injuries,  lacerations  or  ulcerations,  and  varying  de- 
grees of  stomatitis.  The  prehension,  mastication  and 
deglutition  of  the  various  objects  which  the  cow 
chooses  to  select  not  infrequently  produce  injuries  in 
the  mouth  which  later  prevent  the  eating  of  regular  feeds. 


48  SPECIAL  CATTLE  THERAPY 


IMPACTION   OF   THE   RUMEN  IN   COWS 

In  this  article  wc  will  consider  (1)  some  of  the 
more  prominent  or  diagnostic  symptoms,  and  (2)  the 
medical  treatment  of  impaction  of  the  rnmen. 

AVe  will  ignore  the  surgical  treatment  in  this 
treatise. 

Unless  the  young  graduate  has  served  his  appren- 
ticeship in  a  locality  where  this  condition  occurs  fre- 
quently, and  unless  his  preceptor  has  given  him  the 
opportunity  to  become  familiar  with  its  symptoms  and 
handling,  he  will  find  it  a  more  or  less  troublesome 
condition  in  more  ways  than  one.  In  diagnosis  it 
offers  difficulties  because  the  symptoms  are  by  no 
means  true  to  type  in  every  case.  They  vary  accord- 
ing to  the  completeness  or  severity  of  the  stasis. 

In  treatment  this  condition  presents  difficulties  also. 
Usually  the  beginner  resorts  to  measures  which  are  too 
heroic ;  he  attempts  to  do  too  much.  Instead  of  aiming 
to  give  just  the  correct  degree  of  assistance,  he  usually 
overdoes  his  part. 

In  beginning  the  consideration  of  the  more  impor- 
tant symptoms  I  would  mention  the  ''grunt."  When- 
ever impaction  of  the  rumen  is  severe  enough  to  at- 
tract attention,  the  cow  grunts.  I  can  not  find  a  better 
word  for  this  than  grunt,  although  in  the  very  grave 
cases  this  grunt  becomes  almost  a  moan.  The  grunt 
is  synchronous  with  the  respirations  and  is  not  quite 
constant  in  the  milder  cases.  I  mean  by  this  that  it 
appears  intermittently;  you  hear  it  once  or  twice  and 
then  a  few  respirator}^  acts  are  gone  through  without 
the  accompanying  grunt.  In  the  grave  cases  the  grunt 
comes  with  every  breath  and  is  loud  enough  to  be 
heard  quite  a  distance.     I  repeat,  if  the  case  before 


IMPACTION  OF  THE  RUiMEX  49 

3^011   is   one   of   rumen   impaction,   yon    will   hear   this 
g-rnnt,   either   intermittently   or   regularly. 

A  second  symptom  which,  ii'  present  with  the  gi'uut, 
clinches  the  diagnosis  is  the  deviation  to  the  left  of 
the  spinal  column.  Possibly  it  would  be  better  to  say 
the  apparent  deviation  to  the  left.  Standing  squarely 
behind  the  cow,  it  appears  to  the  eye  as  though  the 
spinal  column  forms  a  curve  to  the  left  and  upwards 
in  the  lumbar  region.  This  is  so  marked  that  the 
farmer  sometimes  calls  attention  to  it  before  you  no- 
tice it,  saying,  ''She  stands  humped  up  to  one  side." 
The  more  complete  and  extensive  the  impaction,  the 
more  marked  is  this  symptom.  You  may  be  called  to 
cases  in  which  the  grunt  is  heard  from  other  causes, 
and  you  may  be  called  to  cases  which  show  this  lateral 
deviation  of  the  spine  from  other  causes.  But,  when- 
ever you  get  a  case  of  impaction  of  the  rumen,  you 
w411  hear  this  ''grunt";  and  whenever  you  hear  this 
g-runt  and  also  see  this  deviation  of  the  spinal  column 
to  the  left  and  upwards  in  the  same  cow,  you  can  stake 
your  professional  reputation  on  the  diagnosis  of  impac- 
tion of  the  rumen. 

The  absence  or  the  presence  of  peristaltic  sounds  are 
not  diagnostic.  Even  in  some  quite  grave  cases  of 
impaction,  you  will  hear  some  such  sounds  if  you  have 
a  good  ear  and  apply  it  over  the  rumen  for  a  suffi- 
cient length  of  time.  The  cardinal  sjanptoms  are  the 
grunt  and  the  curve  in  the  spine.  When  you  have 
made  these  out,  you  can  satisfy  your  desire  for  fur- 
ther confirmation  of  the  correctness  of  your  diagnosis 
by  noting  the  tension  of  the  mass  in  the  rumen,  the 
evidence  of  ileus,  absence  of  eructations  and  regurgita- 
tions, and  so  on.  If  the  case  is  mild,  the  tempera- 
ture is  not  far  from  normal;  in  a  well  marked  case 
it  usually  stands  around  104  degrees  Fahrenheit.   Good 


50  SPECIAL  CATTLE  THERAPY 

appetite  or  the  other  extreme,  anorexia,  are  of  no 
value  in  diagnosis  here.  Some  cows  in  this  condition 
will  eat  well  until  the  case  assumes  a  really  grave 
character.  Defecation,  while  usually  scant,  is  not  al- 
ways entirely  absent. 

NoAv  for  the  treatment.  The  first  thing,  and  always 
the  first  thing,  is  to  strictly  forbid  feeding.  Not  a 
sprig  or  a  grain  must  be  allowed  until  rumination  is 
again  fully  established.  This  may  mean  a  day  or  two, 
or  it  may  mean  four  or  five  days  without  food  of  any 
kind.  Water  may  be  given  freely.  In  these  cases  I 
see  to  it  that  before  I  leave  the  place  every  bit  of 
feed  has  been  taken  out  of  the  manger  and  matters 
so  arranged  that  the  patient  cannot  reach  food  thrown 
to  cows  standing  near  her.  For  us,  this  complete  ab- 
stinence from  food  constitutes  seventy-five  per  cent  of 
the  treatment.  The  balance  consists  of  plenty  of  water 
and  repeated  small  doses  of  fluid  extract  of  nux  vomica 
with  either  salol  or  sulpho-carbolates  compound.  I 
prefer  salol.  The  nux  is  given  in  half -dram  doses  every 
three  hours;  the  salol  is  given  with  it  in  dram  doses. 
This  is  kept  up  until  peristalsis  is  growing  marked  and 
there  are  occasional  eructations  and  signs  of  rumina- 
tion. In  a  well  marked  case  it  may  take  three  or 
four  days  to  get  this  far.  Then  I  give  a  large  dose 
of  oil,  such  as  castor,  linseed  or  cottonseed,  containing 
an  ounce  or  two  of  a  volatile,  carminative  oil,  such  as 
cajuput. 

The  usual  '^salts''  have  no  place  in  the  treatment 
of  this  impaction.  AVhen  the  bowel  movements  are 
again  fully  established  and  rumination  is  resumed, 
small  quantities  of  feed  may  be  permitted,  gradually 
returning  to  the  accustomed  ration. 

I  can  recommend  the  foregoing  treatment  as  the 
safest    treatment    for    this    impaction;    it   is    slow    but 


COLIC  51 

sure.  There  are  forms  of  treatment  aimed  at  quicker 
results,  but  they  are  not  always  safe.  Even  in  veter- 
inary practice  the  motto  is  ''Safety  First." 


COLIC 

For  various  reasons  colics  do  not  occur  so  frequently 
in  cows  as  in  horses.  Colic  in  the  cow  is  probably 
always  a  true  colic.  In  horses,  ''colic"  covers  a  mul- 
titude of  pathological  conditions,  at  least,  in  the  com- 
mon sense  of  the  term. 

The  symptoms  of  colic  in  the  cow  are  quite  acute 
and  sometimes  they  may  assume  even  a  violent  char- 
acter. The  condition  usually  begins  with  the  animal 
striking*  at  the  abdomen  wdth  the  hind  legs  and  with 
kicking  and  stamping  with  the  hind  legs.  If  in  the 
stanchion,  the  cow  moves  backward  and  forward, 
crow^ds  to  one  side  and  then  to  the  other,  and  occa- 
sionally throws  herself  doAvn,  groaning  when  down. 
At  times  a  slight  bloat  is  present,  but  usually  none. 

If  no  flatulence  is  present,  a  hypodermic  injection 
of  morphin,  from  four  to  six  grains,  with  a  quarter 
or  a  half  grain  of  atropin,  will  end  the  trouble 
promptly.  If  there  are  some  signs  of  flatulence,  a 
drench  of  some  internal  antiseptic  solution  is  given  in 
conjunction  with  the   morphin   and   atropin. 


52  SPECIAL  CATTLE  THERAPY 


OBSCURE  ABDOMINAL  AILMENTS 

There  occur  in  cattle  a  number  of  indefinite,  obscure 
disease  conditions  Avhich  affect  the  alimentary  tract 
and  Avhich  invariably  defy  diagnosis  of  an  exact  char- 
acter. In  many  of  these  cases  the  most  sincere,  thor- 
ough and  skilled  practitioner  is  unable  to  make  a  diag- 
nosis which  he  could  uphold  by  the  symptoms  and 
clinical  findings. 

The  general  clinical  picture  points  to  some  derange- 
ment of  the  alimentary  tract ;  yet,  there  ar^  not  suffi- 
ciently clear  signs  to  warrant  a  reasonably  specific 
diagnosis. 

Cases  of  this  kind  are  at  times  the  cause  of  con- 
siderable embarrassment  to  the  young  practitioner.  If 
he  will  remember  that  old  and  experienced  practi- 
tioners are  as  much  ''at  sea"  with  these  cases  as  he, 
it  may  make  the  battle  a  bit  more  pleasant  for  him. 

The  cases  under  discussion  appear  somewhat  in  the 
following  form : 

The  cow  has  been  "off  feed"  for  a  few  days;  she 
has  not  quit  eating  entirely,  but  she  '/don't  eat  like 
she  ought  to."  She  has  a  somewhat  "glum"  expres- 
sion of  the  face,  and  once  in  a  while  she  grinds  her 
teeth,  hardly  often  enough  to  attract  attention,  how- 
ever. 

She  is  neither  "full"  nor  bloated,  nor  is  she  drawn; 
occasionally,  if  she  is  observed  for  a  long  time,  she 
seems  to  tense  the  abdominal  muscles  just  a  trifle. 
The  evacuations  are  good  enough  to  be  termed  nor- 
mal. The  temperature  is  also  normal.  Auscultation 
brings  out  nothing  of  an  abnormal  character  in  either 
body  cavitj^  In  some  cases  there  is  just  a  trace  of 
tenderness  shown  by  pressure  on  the  lower  abdominal 


OBSCURE  ABDOMINAL  CONDITIONS        53 

wall.  These  are  all  the  symptoms  that  can  be  dug 
out  of  the  case;  and  even  these  are  not  always  very 
plain  at  first. 

Our  treatment  for  these  cases  begins  with  a  good 
mustard  plaster  over  the  entire  abdominal  wall. 

The  balance  of  the  treatment  consists  of  a  few  doses 
of  some  intestinal  cleanser  such  as  triple  sulpho-carbo- 
lates  or  salol,  in  conjunction  with  ounce  doses  of  fluid 
extract  of  cascara  sagrada.  Three  or  four  doses  two 
hours  apart  are  usually  sufficient. 

Absolutely  no  feed  of  any  kind  is  allowed  while  the 
treatment  is  being  given.  Water  is  permitted  freely. 
When  the  course  of  treatment  has  been  fully  admin- 
istered, feeding  may  be  resumed.  This  should  be 
done  gradually,  however,  giving  not  more  than  half 
a  feed  the  first  few  times. 

Most  of  these  cases  occur  during  the  winter  months 
when  the  cattle  are  housed.  Only  in  one  or  two  in- 
stances have  we  seen  this  condition  during  the  sum- 
mer time. 


INFECTION  WITH  DISTOMA  HEPATICUM 

Infection  with  Distoma  or  Fasciola  hepaticum  pro- 
duces a  disease  commonly  termed  ''liver  rot."  It  is 
seen  only  in  cattle  that  have  had  access  to  lowlands, 
river  bottoms,  sloughs  and  marshes,  and  then  chiefly 
in  the  South. 

The  disease  runs  a  very  slow  course  and  usually  is 
not  recognized  until  it  has  reached  what  is  known 
as  the  third  stage,  when  its  manifestations  are  quite 
evident. 

Almost  the  first  symptom  to  attract  attention  is  an 
edematous  swelling  below  and  between  thp  inferior 


54  SPECIAL  CATTLE  THERAPY 

maxilla.  This  swelling  runs  from  the  chin  to  the 
throat  and  may  hang  downward  three  or  four  inches. 
It  has  the  feeling  of  being  full  of  water,  is  loose  and 
squashy,  and  can  be  compressed  and  moved  about  in 
all  directions.  If  it  is  incised  the  contents  are  found 
to  be  a  thin  fluid,  colorless  and  clear  as  crystal,  with 
a  sweetish  acid  odor.  This  odor  is  very  faint,  but  is 
easih'  detected  if  some  of  the  fluid  is  permitted  to  dry 
and  evaporate  in  the  hand. 

At  this  time  the  cow  refuses  to  eat  heartily,  and  con- 
stipation is  present.  Within  two  to  four  days,  some- 
times a  week,  the  dropsical  swelling  extends  down  the 
front  of  the  trachea  and  an  immense  swelling  locates 
itself  betw^een  the  forelegs.  This  slowly  moves  back- 
ward along  the  under  side  of  the  abdomen,  and  later 
the  hind  extremities  are  also  swollen.  Ascites  usually 
develops  and  a  severe  form  of  dysentery  is  now  raging. 
There  is  a  severe  dyspnea  and  the  cow  maintains 
the  standing  position  for  days.  If  death  does  not 
occur  at  this  point  the  dropsical  swellings  slowly  de- 
crease in  size,  the  cow  begins  to  eat  a  little,  the  dys- 
entery is  checked  and  recovery  comes  at  the  end  of 
three  weeks  or  so.  As  the  dropsical  sw^ellings  leave, 
the  skin  over  them  assumes  a  dry,  tanned  appearance 
and  peels  off  in  rolls,  somewhat  of  the  nature  of  the 
shedding  of  skin  which  follows  some  cases  of  purpura 
hemorrhagica  in  horses. 

The  cow  emerges  from  an  attack  of  this  condition 
greatly  emaciated  and  rarely  regains  her  former  con- 
dition of  health  and  strength. 

AVhen  proper  treatment  is  instituted  early  in  the 
attack,  however,  the  course  of  the  disease  can  be 
considerably  shortened  and  the  cow  returned  to  rea- 
sonably good  condition. 


INFECTION  WITH  DISTOMA  HEPATICUM  55 

If  the  veterinarian  is  called  in  when  the  dropsical 
swelling  is  confined  to  the  region  of  the  jaw  and  has 
had  enough  experience  with  the  disease  so  that  he  rec- 
ognizes the  condition,  he  can  give  reasonable  assur- 
ance that  the  cow  will  survive  in  good  condition  at 
the  end  of  two  or  three  weeks. 

In  localities  in  which  this  disease  occurs  quite  regu- 
larly a  dropsical  swelling  under  the  jaw  should  al- 
ways excite  suspicion  of  this  disease.  If  there  is  in- 
appetence  and  constipation  at  the  same  time  with  a 
slight  elevation  of  temperature,  we  incise  the  swell- 
ing. If  the  contents  are  clear  and  watery  and  have 
the  characteristic  sweet-acid  odor,  it  is  safe  to  diag- 
nose  infection   with  Fasciola   hepaticum. 

In  occasional  cases  it  may  be  possible  to  determine 
distinct  tenderness  in  the  right  flank  and  right  an- 
terior quadrant  of  the  abdomen.  Another  early  symp- 
tom is  frequent  shifting  or  changing  of  the  front 
limbs:  the  cow  flexes  one  knee  and  then  the  other, 
off  and  on. 

The  treatment  which  we  have  used  with  very  good 
results  in  this  disease  is  somewhat  troublesome,  but 
this  should  not  deter  one  from  adopting  it,  especially 
if  the  cow  affected  is  a  valuable  animal. 

We  begin  with  incision  of  the  dropsical  swellings, 
making  the  openings  where  the  fluid  will  drain  out 
freely  and  where  the  wound  will  not  do  other  dam- 
age. The  incisions  should  be  quite  extensive,  so  as  to 
assure  constant  leakage  from  them.  One  or  two  in- 
cisions properly  located  in  the  swellings  will  exude 
several  gallons  of  fluid  in  the  course  of  twenty-four 
hours. 

The  medicinal  treatment  consists  of  Fowler's  solu- 
tion of  arsenic  and  iodid  of  potassium  given  at  the 
same  time.     We  give  an  ounce  of  Fowler's  solution 


56  SPECIAL  CATTLE  THERAPY 

in  the  morning;  an  hour  later  we  give  two  drams  of 
potassium  iodid  in  aqueous  solution.  At  noon  an- 
other ounce  of  Fowler's  solution  and  an  hour  later 
another  two-dram  dose  of  the  iodid.  The  same  is 
done  at  night.  This  performance  is  kept  up  for  a 
week  or  ten  days;  the  swellings  are  usually  disap- 
pearing by  this  time  and  the  general  aspect  of  the 
case  is  favorable  in  appearance.  For  a  few  days 
from  noAV  on  the  Fowler's  solution  and  potassium 
iodid  are  given  only  at  noon,  and  the  morning  and 
evening  medication  now  consists  of  tonics;  nux  vom- 
ica, gentian ;  iron  and  quinin  with  strychnin ;  or 
other  tonics  with  which  the  attending  veterinarian  is 
familiar.  When  four  or  five  days  have  passed  in  this 
manner  the  Fowler's  solution  and  potassium  iodid  are 
discontinued  altogether,  and  the  tonics  alone  are  kept 
up  for  a  few  days  more. 

The  cow  should  be  stabled  for  such  time  until  she 
is  again  in  good  condition,  when  she  may  ])e  turned 
on  grass.  Most  cases  occur  in  spring;  good  grazing 
after  an  attack  aids  materially  in  building  the  cow  up. 


ENZOOTIC  DYSENTERY 

This  is  an  infectious  form  of  dysentery  whicli  af- 
fects cattle  in  the  northern  half  of  the  United  States, 
being  most  common  in  the  north  central  states. 

The  disease  makes  its  appearance  in  the  winter 
months  and  in  early  spring.  It  seldom  covers  large 
areas;  usually  only  a  township  or  two  is  invaded. 

Animals  of  all  ages  are  attacked;  sex,  condition,  and 
breed  exert  no  influence  on  the  disease.  It  affects 
sucking  calves  and  aged  cows,  as  well.  A  character- 
istic trait  of  this  disease  is  the  fact  that  in  nearly 


ENZOOTIC  DYSENTERY  57 

every  instance  it  attacks  every  cow,  calf  and  bull  on 
the  premises;  only  in  rare  instances  do  any  mem- 
bers of  the  herd  escape  the  infection.  To  the  veter- 
inarian who  has  had  no  experience  with  this  disease 
this  peculiarity  usually  leads  him  to  assume  that  the 
cause  of  the  outbreak  can  be  attributed  to  food  con- 
tamination. That  he  is  mistaken  in  this  assumption 
he  discovers  later  when  he  finds  the  disease  on  other 
farms,  sometimes  miles  away,  where  entirely  different 
feeds  and  water,  and  entirely  different  methods  of 
feeding  and  watering  are  used. 

In  many  instances  it  is  no  difficult  matter  to  trace 
the  infection  carrier,  from  one  farm  to  another,  in 
the  person  of  visitors,  stock-buyers  or  others. 

In  other  respects,  also,  the  disease  has  the  ear- 
marks of  an  infectious  disease;  the  symptoms  are  al- 
ways the  same,  the  color  of  the  feces  is  always  the 
same,  and  the  course  of  the  attack  varies  but  slightly 
in  any  instance.  Another  point  indicating  an  infec- 
tious character  in  this  disease  is  the  fact  that  towards 
the  latter  part  of  an  outbreak  the  cases  are  milder; 
this  is  characteristic  of  many  epidemic  and  epizootic 
diseases. 

Enzootic  dysentery  is  serious  because  it  runs  a  rath- 
er slow  course,  during  which  the  secretion  of  milk  is 
almost  entirely  stopped.  We  recall  an  instance  in 
which  a  herd  of  fifteen  cows  altogether  gave  less  than 
an  ordinary  milk  pail  full  of  milk  at  one  milking. 
Deaths  occur  but  rarely;  in  two  outbreaks  we  remem- 
ber but  a  single  death  in  each,  although  hundreds  of 
cows  were  affected. 

The  symptoms  of  enzootic  dysentery  can  not  be 
mistaken  easily  for  those  of  other  forms  of  dysentery. 
The  attack  begins  on  a  farm,  usually,  with  one  or  two 
cases.    A  cow  refuses  her  feed  and  it  is  seen  that  she 


58  SPECIAL  CATTLE  THERAPY 

is  suffering  from  a  form  of  scours.  Even  on  the  same 
day  another  cow  or  two  quit  eating  and  begin  to 
scour;  the  next  day  a  few  more,  and  so  on,  until  the 
entire  herd  is  affected.  We  know  of  no  instance  in 
which  the  animals  were  all  attacked  on  one  day;  a 
herd  of  twenty  head  may  consume  a  week's  time  in 
contracting  the  disease.  The  feces  have  a  character- 
istic appearance  and  color.  They  are  not  watery, 
but  have  a  mushy  or  granular  appearance;  the  color 
is  a  rich  chocolate  shade,  sometimes  (just  barely) 
more  towards  a  red  shade.  There  is  no  abnormal 
odor. 

In  most  cases  the  cows  refuse  to  eat  while  the 
diarrhea  persists,  which  may  be  from  three  days  to 
a  week  or  ten  days;  they  drink  water  freely,  even  to 
excess,  if  permitted  to  do  so. 

The  temperature  is  raised  from  one  to  three  de- 
grees. 

After  two  or  three  days  from  the  b3ginning  of  the 
attack  the  animals  develop  a  cough.  In  some  of  the 
later  cases  the  cough  may  be  present  from  the  start; 
mucous  rales  can  then  be  heard  in  the  trachea  and 
lungs.  Also,  about  at  this  time,  there  appear  spasms 
of  certain  muscle  groups;  these  spasms  are  tonic  in 
character  and  most  frequently  affect  the  posterior 
limbs. 

The  milk  flow  is  almost  entirely  absent ;  the  animals 
lose  flesh  rapidly.  A  herd  of  dairy  cows  just  emerg- 
ing from  an  attack  of  enzootic  dysentery  is  a  sorry 
spectacle  to  behold. 

The  animals  recover  irregularly  in  a  given  herd,  by 
ones  and  twos,  but  not  generally  in  the  same  order 
in  which  they  were  attacked;  frequently  the  cows 
first  affected  are  the  last  to  recover.  In  a  large  herd 
a  month  may  elapse  before  the  entire  herd  is  free 
from  the  disease. 


ENZOOTIC  DYSENTERY  59 

As  far  as  our  observations  go,  one  attack  confers 
immunity;  the  disease  has  not  appeared  on  the  same 
farm  twice  in  our  experience. 

A  poorly  nourished  cow,  should  she  happen  to  be 
attacked  by  this  disease  in  a  severe  form,  may  not 
survive.  Otherwise  recovery  is  the  rule.  The  disease 
is  therefore  important  chiefly  because  of  the  resulting 
shrinkage  in  the  milk  output. 

The  treatment  of  enzootic  dysentery  should  begin 
as  soon  after  the  disease  is  recognized  as  possible,  and 
every  bovine  on  the  farm  should  be  treated  from  the 
first.  Almost  invariably  all  cows  are  affected,  once 
the  disease  enters  a  herd,  and  the  veterinarian  who  has 
had  experience  with  this  disease  knows  that  although 
he  may  not  be  able  to  check  the  outbreak  abruptly, 
he  can  lessen  the  severity  of  the  attack  by  early  treat- 
ment. Cows  treated  before  they  develop  symptoms  of 
the  disease  are  affected  in  a  very  mild  form,  and  re- 
cover in  a  few  days.  If  the  animals  are  treated  only 
as  they  develop  the  disease,  one  after  another,  the 
attack  in  a  herd  is  prolonged  unnecessarily. 

We  have  had  the  best  results  in  the  treatment  of 
this  disease  from  an  oily  preparation  consisting  of 
beechwood  creosote,  twenty  drops;  oil  of  cajuput,  half 
an  ounce;  cottonseed  oil,  two  ounces;  this  size  dose  is 
given  four  times  daily  until  the  diarrhea  stops.  If  the 
case  is  an  exceptionally  severe  one  we  may  give  one 
or  two  doses  of  opium  to  control  the  scours  at  first; 
this  is  rarely  necessary  with  the  above  treatment. 

We  pay  little  attention  to  the  feed;  in  most  cases 
the  animals  will  not  eat  anything.  Water  should  be 
given  in  very  small  quantities,  but  at  frequent  inter- 
vals. If  the  cattle  are  watered  at  a  tank  they  usually 
drink  to   excess. 


60  SPECIAL  CATTLE  THERAPY 

111  our  early  experiences  with  this  disease  we  used 
various  medicinal  agents  which  can  be  relied  on  in 
other  forms  of  diarrhea.  None  of  them  accomplished 
much  good.  In  the  combination  given  above  we  con 
sider  the  beechwood  creosote  the  active  principle.  The 
value  of  the  combination  might  be  enhanced  by  the 
addition  of  tincture  of  capsicum. 


COCCIDIAL   DYSENTERY 

Coccidial  dysentery  in  cattle  is  an  acute  disease  oc 
curring  in  epizootic  and  enzootic  form. 

It  is  seen  most  frequently  during  those  months  of 
the  year  in  which  cattle  are  grazing,  and  young  cattle 
are  most  commonly  affected.  Mild  cases  of  the  dis- 
ease terminate  favorably  in  three  or  four  days.  Se- 
vere attacks  terminate  in  death  frequently  in  the  same 
number  of  days.  Several  animals  are  affected  at  the 
same  time.  On  occasions  an  entire  herd  was  attacked 
on  the  same  day.  The  diarrhea  becomes  suddenly 
and  fully  established  in  almost  all  cases.  The  evac- 
uations are  copious  and  thin  and  are  soon  accom- 
panied by  very  serious  tenesmus.  Within  the  course 
of  eight  or  ten  hours  bloody  streaks,  and  sometimes 
large  blood  clots,  can  be  found  in  the  evacuations.  In 
grave  cases  the  tenesmus  may  attain  such  severity 
that  varying  degrees  of  eversion  of  the  rectum  are 
seen  in  some  of  the  cows.  There  is  great  depression 
and  loss  of  appetite  and  the  animals  are  soon  in  a 
very  weakened  state,  trembling  and  staggering  about. 
Before  death  there  may  be  coma,  or  delirium  border- 
ing on  convulsions.  The  feces  invariably  are  foul 
smelling  and  are  usually  intermixed  with  gas  bubbles. 

If  the  attack  is  a  mild  one  improvement  is  evident 


COCCIDIAL  DYSENTERY  61 

at  the  end  of  eighteen  or  twenty-four  hours;  if  the 
symptoms  do  not  decrease  in  severity  at  this  time 
the  attack  is  usually  fatal. 

The  treatment  of  coecidial  dysentery  does  not  prove 
successful  in  very  severe  attacks,  which  run  on  to  a 
fatal  termination  in  spite  of  all  treatment.  In  mild 
or  only  moderately  severe  attacks  the  results  from 
treatment  attained  are  quite  satisfactory. 

The  first  important  step  is  to  have  the  animals  sta- 
bled at  once  and  provide  for  watering  them  from  a 
supply  different  from  the  one  they  had  access  to  while 
on  pasture.  The  water  should  be  allowed  in  very 
small  quantities,  but  frequently. 

The  medical  treatment  begins  with  an  ounce  dose 
of  dilute  acetic  acid  in  a  small  quantity  of  water. 
Every  half  hour  thereafter  until  relief  is  evident  we 
give  tincture  of  opium  two  drams,  oil  of  eucalyptus 
half  an  ounce,  dilute  acetic  acid  half  an  ounce,  shak- 
ing these  three  drugs  up  together  with  a  little  water 
for  a  drench.  As  soon  as  the  evacuations  are  less  fre- 
quent and  the  tenesmus  less  severe  two  or  more  hours 
are  allowed  to  pass  between  doses.  Oases  exhibiting 
protrusions  of  the  rectal  mucosa  as  a  result  of  severe 
tenesmus  may  be  given  a  large  dose  of  morphin  sul- 
phate hypodermically.  Animals  recovering  from  an 
attack  of  coecidial  dysentery  have  a  long  convalescent 
period.  They  do  not  resume  normal  feeding  nor  gain 
their  former  condition  for  a  long  time  after  recovery. 


62  SPECIAL  CATTLE  THERAPY 


JOHNES  DISEASE 

This  disease,  also  known  as  para-tuberculosis  in- 
testinalis,  is  a  form  of  diarrhea  which  affects  cattle 
with  some  frequency  in  certain  localities.  The  .disease 
is  an  infectious  one  and  the  feces  from  cattle  suffering 
from  it  are  to  be  considered  as  the  most  common  car- 
rier of  the  infection.  The  course  of  Johnes  disease 
is  chronic  in  character,  extending  over  several  months 
as  a  rule,  and  generally  terminating  in  death. 

While  the  disease  occurs  mainly  in  isolated  in- 
stances, affecting  only  one  or  two  cows  in  the  herd 
at  the  same  time,  the  infection  may  remain  in  the 
stable  indefinitely,  so  that  cases  of  the  disease  appear 
at  intervals  for  years. 

The  symptoms  of  Johnes  disease  are  not  accom- 
panied by  any  very  remarkable  diagnostic  climax. 
Until  the  veterinarian  has  seen  a  few  cases  of  the 
disease  he  does  not  get  a  very  clear  conception  of  the 
clinical  index  to  the  condition. 

A  cow,  in  the  beginning,  has  somewhat  more  fre- 
quent bowel  evacuations  than  normal;  a  little  later 
these  evacuations  become  somewhat  thin  in  consis- 
tency, and  finally,  at  the  end  of  a  week  or  two,  a  real 
diarrhea  has  developed.  This  diarrhea  is  very  per- 
sistent; it  may  improve  slightly  on  certain  days,  but 
always  returns.  There  is  no  particular  character  of 
evacuations;  towards  the  end  of  the  disease  there  may 
be  some  mucus  mixed  w^th  the  feces. 

The  appetite  of  the  cow  is  but  slightly  affected,  but 
emaciation  rapidly  becomes  evident.  At  the  end  of 
six  weeks  or  two  months  there  is  a  veritable  cachexia, 
terminating  in  marasmus,  decubitus,  and  death.  Re-' 
coveries  are  rare  once  the  disease  becomes  well  estab- 


JOHNES  DISEASE  63 

lislied.  In  some  cases  constipation  sets  in  before  death 
occurs,  so  that  there  may  be  several  days  with  no  evac- 
uations, preceding  the  end. 

The  treatment  of  Johnes  disease  up  to  the  present 
time  has  been  unsuccessful.  Until  a  satisfactory  treat- 
ment has  been  elaborated  the  handling  of  this  disease 
lies  solely  in  prevention.  Feces  from  infected  animals 
should  be  cremated  and  premises  disinfected.  Imme- 
diate isolation  of  the  patient  should  be  the  rule,  and 
when  death  comes  the  entire  carcass  should  be  buried 
in  quicklime. 


DIFFERENTIAL  DIAGNOSTIC  MARKS  OF— 

Enzootic  Dysentery 

1.  Affects  cattle  of  all  ages;   calves,  young  stock, 
old  stock. 

2.  Occurs  during  winter  and  spring. 

3.  Affects    animals  stabled   or   on   range. 

4.  Onset   is   sudden. 

5.  Course  of  disease  is  from  one  to  two  weeks. 

6.  No  appetite. 

7.  Feces  have  no  abnormal  odor. 

8.  Feces  are  granular. 

9.  Feces   are   chocolate   colored. 

10.  Milk  secretion  totally  absent. 

11.  Pertussis  is  a  common  complication. 

12.  Practically  never  fatal. 

Coccidial  Dysentery 

1.  Affects  chiefly  young  stock. 

2.  Occurs  during  grass  season. 

3.  Affects  animals  being  pastured  almost  wholly. 


64  SPECIAL  CATTLE  THERAPY 

4.  Onset  is  very  acute. 

5.  Course  of  disease  is  fi'om  two  to  five  days. 

6.  No  appetite. 

7.  Feces  have  distinct  odor ;  foul. 

8.  Feces   are   liquid. 

9.  Feces  are  hemorrhagic. 

10.  Milk  secretion  diminished. 

11.  No  pertussis. 

12.  Commonly  fatal ;  probably  20  per  cent. 

Johnes  Disease 

1.  Affects  all  ages. 

2.  Occurs   in   all   seasons. 

3.  Affects  animals  under  all  conditions  of  feeding. 

4.  Onset  is  gradual. 

5.  Course  of  disease  is  from  one  to  three  months. 

6.  Appetite  remains  good. 

7.  Feces  have  no  marked  odor. 

8.  Feces   are   copious   and   thin. 

9.  Feces  have  no   characteristic   color. 

10.  Milk  secretion  not  greatly  affected. 

11.  No  pertussis. 

12.  Always  fatal,  eventually. 


SIMPLE  DIARRHEA  IN  CALVES  65 


SIMPLE  DIARRHEA  IN  CALVES 

Diarrhea  in  a  simple  or  sporadic  form  occurs  in 
calves  during  the  first  few  weeks  of  life.  It  may 
appear  as  early  as  two  or  three  days  after  birth; 
most  commonly  at  the  end  of  the  first  w^eek  or  ten 
days. 

The  bowel  evacuations  are  performed  at  short  in- 
tervals, the  feces  having  a  very  light  yellow  color 
and  considerable  odor.  When  the  disease  has  been 
active  for  twenty-four  or  forty-eight  hours  the  calf 
has  a  dejected  appearance,  is  listless,  and  does  not 
move  about  much.  In  some  cases  there  are  slight 
colir^ky  pains. 

If  the  disease  is  not  checked  the  calf  rapidly  loses 
strength,  lies  down  almost  constantly  and  dies,  having 
lingered  for  several  days  in  an  exhausted  cachectic 
condition. 

The  treatment  of  this  condition  is  followed  by 
prompt  and  satisfactory  results  if  the  case  is  taken  in 
hand  while  the  patient  is  yet  vigorous.  Neglected  cases 
frequently  die  in  spite  of  the  most  careful  nursing 
and   judicious   treatment. 

Calves  which  have  just  been  attacked  with  diarrhea 
are  given  a  few  large  doses  of  intestinal  antiseptics. 
We  have  had  most  excellent  results  from  the  triple 
sulpho-earbolates:  zinc,  sodium  and  calcium.  Calves 
up  to  two  weeks  old  we  give  two  thirty-grain  tablets 
at  one  dose,  and  repeat  the  same  in  about  four  hours. 
This  is  usually  all  that  is  required. 

When  a  case  has  been  neglected  until  the  calf  has 
abdominal  pains  and  has  become  listless  and  weak, 
the  treatment  requires  more  care.  The  calf  must  be 
provided  with  warm  quarters,  and  if  the  abdomen  is 


66  SPECIAL  CATTLE  THERAPY 

quite  tense  and  the  colicky  pains  frequently  recur,  a 
Aveak  mustard  plaster  is  applied  on  the  belly. 

AVe  then  order  a  dose  every  hour  or  two  of  tincture 
of  capsicum  ten  minims,  triple  sulpho-carbolates  fif- 
teen grains  (5  grs.  each  of  sulpho-carbolates:  zinc, 
sodium  and  calcium),  and  compound  tincture  of  gam- 
bir  half  ounce.  This  is  kept  up  hourly  until  four  or 
five  doses  are  given,  thereafter  every  two  to  four  hours 
according  to  the  case.  If  more  stimulation  is  neces- 
sary a  small  dose  of  warm  brandy  may  be  given  now 
and  then. 

In  exceptional  cases  tincture  of  opium  may  be  used 
to  advantage  but  it  should  not  be  used  if  it  can  be 
avoided.  Frequently,  when  opium  is  used  in  conjunc- 
tion to  check  the  scours  the  case  is  transformed  into 
a  stubborn  attack  of  constipation  which  proves  as  dif- 
ficult to  relieve  as  the  disease  which  preceded  it.  In 
the  treatment  which  we  have  outlined  are  contained 
no  agents  to  cause  the  prolonged  effect  of  opiates. 

When  a  troublesome  constipation  does  supervene  on 
a  case  of  diarrhea  in  calves  we  recommend  large  doses 
of  castor  oil,  with  a  few  doses  of  cascara  sagrada.  If 
the  treatment  which  we  have  outlined  is  used  the  oc- 
currence of  constipation  as  a  sequel  will  be  practically 
unheard  of. 


INFECTIOUS  DYSENTERY  OF  CALVES   67 


INFECTIOUS  DYSENTERY  OF  CALVES 

This  form  of  diarrhea  in  calves  is  very  prevalent  in 
some  localities.  It  differs  from  sporadic  or  simple 
dysentery  to  that  extent  that  it  is  very  rapidly  fatal. 
It  can  probably  be  best  described  as  a  hyperacute 
diarrhea. 

This  disease  attacks  calves  very  soon  after  their 
birth;  in  some  cases  it  is  present  at  the  time  of  birth. 
Usually  the  symptoms  set  in  on  the  first  or  second 
day  and  the  course  of  the  disease  is  very  rapid  and 
the  termination  fatal  in  a  high  percentage  of  cases. 

Infectious  dysentery  of  calves  begins  as  an  ordinary 
diarrhea,  developing  in  the  course  of  a  few  hours  into 
a  very  grave  condition. 

The  evacuations  are  at  first  normal  in  color;  later 
they  become  of  a  pale-grey,  or  almost  white,  shade. 
The  odor  is  intense,  and  the  evacuations  are  accom- 
panied by  much  straining.  In  spite  of  the  severe 
tenesmus,  the  evacuations,  which  are  very  thin  now, 
do  not  spurt  outward,  but  merely  run  down  the  but- 
tocks. This  region  and  the  tail  are  soon  very  filthy 
and  foul-smelling.  At  the  end  of  from  ten  to  fifteen 
hours,  convulsions,  and,  finally,  decubitus  and  death, 
occur. 

The  treatment  of  this  disease  has  not  been  very 
satisfactory  in  the  past.  Most  cases  terminated  in 
death  in  spite  of  prompt  remedial  measures. 

Recently  fair  results  have  been  reported  from  ser- 
ums prepared  from  horses  subjected  to  the  effects  of 
the  colon  bacillus,  and  this  serum  deserves  further 
trial  at  the  hands  of  practitioners.  However,  for  all 
purposes  in  general  practice,  we  must  yet  consider 
the   handling   of   this   disease   almost   wholly   from   a 


68  SPECIAL  CATTLE  THERAPY 

prophylactic  standpoint.  Pregnant  cows  should  not 
be  permitted  to  give  birth  in  infected  stables  and 
all  calves  born  on  premises  where  the  disease  has  been 
known  to  occur  should  at  once  be  submitted  for  Dre- 
ventive  inoculation.  For  all  purposes  of  prevention 
the  serums  now  in  use  appear  to  be  reliable. 

AVe  are  not  acquainted  with  any  form  of  curative 
treatment  which  w^e  can  recommend. 

MUSCULAR  RHEUMATISM 

This  is  by  'no  means  a  rare  affection  in  dairy  cows. 
It  is  seen  quite  frequently  in  cows  housed  in  cemented 
stables,  not  so  frequently  in  cows  stabled  on  ground  or 
wood  floors,  and  almost  never  during  the  months  when 
ibe  cattle  are  on  grass. 

Most  attacks  are  of  a  sub-acute  character.  Both 
young  and  old  cows  are  affected,  and  in  rare  instances 
even  calves  have  been  seen  thus  afflicted.  An  attack 
of  muscular  rheumatism  appears  in  cattle  in  a  grad- 
ual manner.  Usually  a  single  animal  is  affected,  but  it 
is  nothing  unusual  for  several  cows  to  develop  symp- 
toms at  the  same  time. 

There  is  at  first  a  general  stiffness,  shown  by  very 
limited  flexion  of  the  extremities,  especially  the  hind 
extremities,  and  a  disinclination  to  move  about.  If 
the  animal  is  confined  in  a  stanchion  she  has  some 
difficulty  in  getting  up  after  she  has  been  lying  down 
for  a  time ;  there  is  no  struggling  or  flopping  about 
?is  in  cases  due  to  weakness  or  paresis,  but -the  at- 
tempt to  arise  partakes  more  of  the  nature  of  hesi- 
tancy. The  animal  seems  afraid  to  undergo  the  ex- 
ertion required  to  assume  the  standing  position.  AVhen 
the  standing  position  is  finally  acquired  the  cow 
''stands  in  a  bunch,"  swaying  backward  and  forward 


MUSCULAR  RHEUMATISM  69 

a  few  times,  and  then  shifts  from  one  leg  to  the  other 
for  several  minutes.  When  she  is  released  from  the 
stanchion  she  does  not  seem  to  appreciate  her  free- 
dom and  may  not  follow  the  herd  out  into  the  yard. 
If  she  is  urged  she  moves  cautiously,  becoming  some- 
what more  supple  in  her  movements  after  she  walks 
a  short  distance. 

The  foregoing  is  about  the  extent  of  the  symptoms 
in  usual  cases.  In  more  marked  attacks  there  appears 
excessive  lameness  in  one  limb  or  another  after  this. 
Soreness  cannot  be  located  in  any  particular  spot;  the 
anini'=il  exhibits  signs  of  pain  equally  on  any  part  o^ 
the  member  when  examined  or  gives  no  reaction  what- 
ever to  manipulations.  There  is  some  falling  off  in 
appetite  and  but  one  or  two  degress  of  fever. 

The  response  to  treatment  is  very  prompt.  If  pos- 
sible the  animal  should  be  turned  loose  in  a  box-stall, 
the  floor  of  which  should  be  dry  and  well  bedded.  A 
saline  purge  is  administered.  Following  this  the  cow 
is  to  be  drenched  three  times  daily  with  a  preparation 
containing  fluid  extract  colchicum  half  a  dram,  sodium 
salicylate  one  dram  and  hexamethylenamine  one  dram 
in  each  dose,  using  water  to  dissolve  the  last  two  in- 
gredients. A  few  doses  produce  considerable  improve- 
ment, and  four  or  five  days  of  this  treatment  effects 
the  disappearance  of  all  the  symptoms. 

In  severe  cases  in  which  there  is  a  very  marked 
lameness  in  one  leg  a  liniment  may  be  applied  in  con- 
junction with  the  above  treatment.  A  good  combina- 
tion for  use  as  a  liniment  in  these  cases  is  oil  of 
cajuput  one  ounce,  camphorated  soap  liniment  two 
ounces,  alcohol  two  ounces,  water  to  make  twelve 
ounces.  This  should  be  briskly  rubbed  over  the  mus- 
cular and  tendinous  regions  of  the  affected  limb  sev- 
eral times  during  the  day. 


70  SPECIAL  CATTLE  THERAPY 


PARAPLEGIA  (Bovine  Azoturia) 

Under  this  head  we  will  consider  that  form  of 
paralysis  of  the  posterior  limbs  which  occurs  in  cattle 
with  considerable  frequency,  and  always  precipitately. 

It  is  this  condition  that  has  been  designated  ''azotu- 
ria of  cattle."  In  our  estimation  the  condition  does 
not  resemble  azoturia  in  any  other  respect  than  the 
inability  to  arise;  the  other  symptoms  and  phenomena 
of  azoturia  are  not  present.  Neither  is  paraplegia 
ever  seen  in  cattle  in  a  mild  or  partial  form,  as  is  the 
case  quite  often  in  horses  attacked  with  azoturia.  Par- 
aplegia always  occurs  in  the  cow  in  the  form  of  a 
complete  paralysis  of  the  posterior  extremities,  total 
loss  of  power  and  absolute  decubitus. 

It  affects  cattle  of  all  ages,  in  every  state  or  condi- 
tion, in  pregnancy  and  in  barenness.  It  affects  cattle 
housed  under  the  most  sanitary  and  hygienic  condi- 
tions, as  well  as  cattle  kept  in  filthy  environment.  It 
occurs  in  the  winter  months  when  cattle  are  stabled 
and  in  the  summer  months  when  they  are  at  pasture. 
There  are  no  premonitory  symptoms  indicating  the  ap- 
proach of  the  trouble.  In  every  other  form  of  paral- 
ysis, with  which  we  are  familiar,  there  are  certain 
unfailing  premonitory  manifestations.  Not  so  in  this 
disease.  The  cow  is  found  in  the  recumbent  position, 
usually  flat  on  its  side.  The  veterinarian  is  called  in ; 
he  can  get  no  other  history  in  regard  to  the  case.  All 
the  owner  can  tall  him  is  that  he  found  the  cow  down, 
either  in  the  yard,  barn,  pasture,  or  wherever  it  hap- 
pened to  be.  He  has  observed  absolutely  no  sign  of 
ailing  or  sickness  before  the  animal  ivas  found  down. 
Usually  the  farmer  thinks  the  cow  has  been,  what  he 
calls,   "split." 


PARAPLEGIA  71 

The  veterinarian  begins  his  examination,  and  finds  a 
case  about  as  follows: 

The  temperature  is  either  normal  or  not  far  from 
it.  If  the  cow  has  been  down  only  an  hour  or  two, 
the  temperature  may  be  at  104  degrees  Fahrenheit  or 
thereabouts.  After  she  has  been  down  a  number  of 
hours  the  temperature  is  about  normal.  When  the 
animal  is  rolled  up  on  her  chest  (providing  she  has  not 
already  assumed  that  attitude  voluntarily)  she  appears 
entirely  normal.  She  is  bright  and  apparently  suffer- 
ing no  pain;  if  there  is  some  feed  within  reach  she 
begins  to  eat. 

The  pulse  is  somewhat  faster  than  normal,  but  not 
much  altered. 

"When  the  cow  is  urged  to  get  up  she  willingly  makes 
the  attempt;  she  is  able  to  stand  on  her  front  legs 
but  the  hind  ones  lie  inert  and  the  rump  does  not  leave 
the  ground.  If  the  animal  is  given  assistance  by  lift- 
ing at  the  tail  she  makes  a  few  feeble  outward  strokes 
with  each  hind  leg  and  then  usually  falls  in  a  heap. 
There  seems  to  be  a  total  lack  of  power  for  adduction 
and  flexion;  all  motion  is  towards  «Z)duction  and  ex- 
tension, as  in  an  obturator  paralysis.  Sensation  is 
diminished  in  the  parts  from  the  lumbar  region  back- 
ward, and  in  some  instances  almost  absent.  In  near- 
ly every  case  the  tail  is  flabby  and  immobile.  The 
latter  is  diagnostic  of  this  condition  and  differentiates 
the  case  from  obturator  paralysis,  o])stetrieal  paralysis 
and  other  diseases  of  similar  symptomatology.  The 
course  of  paraplegia  is  irregular  and  indefinite.  Usu- 
ally the  cow  retains  a  good  appetite  and  apparently 
suffers  no  pains.  At  intervals  she  makes  strenuous 
efforts  to  arise,  creeping  or  falling  over  a  considerable 
area  in  the  course  of  a  day. 


72  SPECIAL  CATTLE  THERAPY 

At  first  there  is  coprostasis;  after  a  day  or  two 
defecation  is  re-established.  Improvement  may  be  seen 
sometimes  within  a  few  days;  the  tail  regains  its  mo- 
tility, the  hind  legs  come  nearer  to  the  body.  After 
a  few  more  days  the  standing  position  is  attained  for 
a  moment  or  two,  but  the  cow  almost  immediately 
collapses  again.  Several  more  days,  rarely  before  two 
whole  weeks  after  the  onset  of  the  attack,  see  the  cow 
get  up  and  stand  fairly  steady.  Complete  recovery, 
with  good  co-ordination,  requires  another  week  or  ten 
days. 

In  other  instances  the  cow  shows  not  a  particle  of 
improvement,  and  may  remain  in  the  recumbent  posi- 
tion until  she  is  either  killed  or  dies  from  other  causes. 
This  may  not  occur  for  three  or  four  weeks. 

The  treatment  of  this  condition  is  not  highly  satis- 
factory. In  our  practice  w^e  treat  the  cow  for  two  or 
three  days  and  if  she  shows  no  improvement  at  the 
end  of  that  time  we  advise  destruction.  If  she  shows 
improvement  sufficient  to  arouse  reasonable  hope  of 
recovery,  we  continue  the  treatment  a  few  days 
longer,  or,  if  the  cow  continues  to  improve,  until  recov- 
ery is  complete. 

The  best  results  in  the  first  few  days  of  the  sick- 
ness come  from  atropin  in  half-grain  doses,  every  four 
hours.  On  the  second  or  third  day  we  begin  with 
strychnin,  a  quarter  grain  of  the  sulphate  four  times 
daily.  Massage  of  the  affected  parts  sometimes 
hastens  recovery.  Counter-irritants  applied  along  the 
spinal  column  in  the  lumbar  region  are  also  used. 

The  treatment  is  mostly  empirical,  because  the  path- 
ology of  the  condition  is  not  known.  It  is  therefore 
doubtful  whether  any  improvement  obtained  is  the 
result  of  the  treatment  or  of  vis  medicatrix  natui^ae. 


ACUTE  BULBAR  PARALYSIS       73 


ACUTE  BULBAR  PARALYSIS 

Under  this  head  we  undertake  to  discuss  a  patho- 
logical condition  in  cattle  which  occurs  quite  fre- 
quently and  usually  in  a  typical  form. 

The  exact  nature  of  this  condition  from  an  etiolog- 
ical standpoint  is  not  known.  In  some  instances  it 
assumes  an  enzootic  character,  having  been  described 
by  some  authors  in  this  form  as  an  enzootic  pharyn- 
geal paralysis.  As  the  symptoms  are  not  by  any  means 
confined  to  the  pharynx,  nor  to  the  effects  of  a  pharyn- 
geal paralysis,   this  name  is  misleading. 

A  disease  which  is  prevalent  in  Europe  in  an  en- 
zootic and  epizootic  form  and  which  has  been  named 
the  diseas,e  of  Aujesky,  somewhat  resembles  what  we 
term  acute  bulbar  paralysis  in  this  country.  Au- 
jesky's  disease  may  be  the  same  disease  in  a  more 
active  form;  the  cases  which  he  has  described  as 
occurring  in  Europe  have  to  be  differentiated  from 
furious  rabies.  Acute  bulbar  paralysis  as  seen  in  the 
United  States  may  on  occasions  be  taken  for  dumb 
rabies.  Under  certain  conditions,  such  as  exist  when 
the  disease  occurs  shortly  before  or  after  parturition, 
it  is  also  confused  with  parturient  paresis. 

Acute  bulbar  paralysis  seems  to  affect  cattle  of  all 
ages,  although  there  is  a  slight  preference  on  the  part 
of  the  disease  for  "animals  which  are  not  aged.  As 
a  general  rule  it  may  be  said  to  be  sporadic  in  na- 
ture ;  in  exceptional  instances  it  is  mildly  enzootic. 

The  inaugural  symptom  is  a  dullness,  or  an  appear- 
ance indicating  general  indisposition.  The  animal  will 
neither  eat  nor  drink;  rumination  is  suspended  and 
constipation  exists.  These  symptoms  the  veterinarian 
usually  hears  in  the  history  given  by  the  owner.     The 


74  SPECIAL  CATTLE  THERAPY 

veterinarian  as  a  rule  does  not  see  the  case  until  more 
definite  symptoms  have  developed,  which  is  usually 
on  the  second  or  third  day.  The  cow  now  lies  down 
most  of  .the  time.  If  she  is  sufficiently  urged  by  prod- 
ding or  whipping  she  can  usually  be  made  to  ^et  up  on 
her  feet.  This  is  a  good  point  to  have  in  mind  in  case 
the  attack  has  occurred  soon  after  calving,  when  it 
would  be  necessary  to  exclude  parturient  paresis. 

When  the  cow  has  assumed  the  standing  position 
she  constantly  shifts  her  weight  from  limb  to  limb ; 
she  is  restless  and  in  a  few  minutes  lies  down  again. 
While  she  is  standing  she  sometimes  kicks  backward 
repeatedly  with  one  hind  leg. 

There  are  no  bowel  evacuations,  but  usually  the 
urine  dribbles  away,  apparently  involuntarily. 

There  is  a  steady  dripping  of  clear  saliva  from  the 
mouth;  not  a  ropy,  stringy  saliva  hanging  from  the 
mouth  but  a  steady  dripping,  and  clear.  Tears  flow 
down  over  the  sides  of  the  face  steadily.  When  the 
cow  has  been  lying  down  for  a  few  minutes  she  ap- 
parently goes  to  sleep  if  she  is  not  molested;  she  be- 
gins to  moan  and  will  remain  in  a  semi-comatose  con- 
dition indefinitely  if  undisturbed.  If  she  is  slapped  or 
shaken  she  wakes,  looks  about  a  moment  or  two,  and 
goes  to  sleep  again.  During  the  moments  of  wakeful- 
ness the  mouth  hangs  partly  open. 

In  this  stage  the  temperature  is  raised  from  two  to 
four  degrees.  In  the  end  it  becomes  subnormal.  Swal- 
lowing, if  not  entirely  impossible,  is  performed  with 
great  reluctance  and  difficulty. 

At  the  end  of  another  twenty-four  to  forty-eight 
hours  the  cow  is  no  longer  able  to  gain  the  standing 
position;  she  lies  flat  on  her  side  part  of  the  time, 
making  ineffectual  struggles  to  arise  at  intervals. 
There  are  now  symptoms  pointing  towards  pulmonary 


ACUTE  BULBAR  PARALYSIS       75 

edema  or  congestion;  severe  dyspnea  accompanied  by 
rustling  sounds.  The  tongue  protrudes  from  the 
mouth;  diarrhea  is  present.  The  temperature  now 
keeps  going  down  until  it  may  be  several  degrees 
subnormal;  the  periods  of  coma  are  prolonged,  and 
the  cow  dies  on  the  fifth  or  sixth  day  after  the  begin- 
ning of  the  attack. 

Some  cases  run  a  somewhat  slower  course,  dying  on 
the  eighth  to  tenth  day.  Now  and  then  a  case  sur- 
vives the  acute  attack,  gradually  assuming  a  subacute 
form  and  lingering  along  for  several  weeks.  In  the 
latter  form  inspiration  pneumonia  develops  at  last  and 
pulmonary  gangrene  supervenes. 

The  treatment  of  this  disease  is  far  from  satisfac- 
tory. In  fact,  all  that  we  can  do  is  to  treat  the  symp- 
toms as  they  arise.  Until  the  exact  nature  of  the  con- 
dition is  discovered  the  treatment  will  be  empirical. 

We  can  point  to  no  particular  remedial  agent  or 
method  of  treatment  which  has  given  good  results  in 
our  practice.  We  have  used  every  form  of  treatment 
which  the  symptoms,  and  pathology  so  far  as  it  is 
understood,  would  indicate  as  helpful,  but  without 
success.  For  this  reason  we  refrain  from  suggesting 
any  method  of  handling  this  disease,  leaving  the 
treatment  to  the  judgment  of  the  individual  veteri- 
narian. 

Because  of  the  apparent  semi-infectious  nature  that 
the  disease  sometimes  assumes,  when  it  occurs  in  the 
enzootic  form,  we  Avould  suggest  as  a  precautionary 
matter  the  thorough  disinfection  of  the  premises  on 
which  a  case  develops.  If  it  can  conveniently  be  ar- 
ranged the  patient  should  be  taken  out  of  the  herd 
and  isolated.  It  is  impossible  to  differentiate  the  spo- 
radic from  the  enzootic  form  clinically;  because  of 
this  all  cases  of  this  disease  should  be  regarded  as 
being  communicable. 


76  SPECIAL  CATTLE  THERAPY 


SENILE  PARALYSIS 

This  is  a  condition  which  occurs  with  considerable 
regularity  in  old  cows.  Li  most  cases  it  takes  what 
may  be  termed  a  progressive  form,  starting  with  a 
stiffness  in  one  hind  leg.  After  weeks,  sometimes 
months,  a  lameness  develops  in  one  hind  leg,  with- 
out any  evidence  of  swelling  or  any  localized  area  of 
soreness.  About  at  this  time  it  is  noticed  that  the 
cow  ''can  not  get  up  as  well  as  she  used  to'';  she 
seems  to  be  weak  in  the  posterior  parts.  Also  about 
at  this  time  she  begins  to  look  bad;  does  not  thrive 
or  keep  in  her  usual  good  condition,  although  her 
appetite  is  apparently  as  good  as  ever. 

Very  soon  after  the  trouble  has  reached  this  stage 
the  Cow  becomes  entirely  unable  to  get  up  without 
assistance.  This  condition  is  confined  to  aged  cows 
and  is  never  seen  in  cows  under  nine  or  ten  years  old. 

Usually  it  is  best  in  these  cases  to  advise  the  de- 
struction of  the  cow.  While  now  and  then  one  of 
these  cases  improves  sufficiently  under  treatment  to 
enable  the  owner  to  dispose  of  the  cow^  in  some  other 
manner,  it  is  usually  a  loss  from  a  financial  standpoint 
to  attempt  their  cure. 

The  condition  is  seen  both  in  cows  which  are  in 
various  stages  of  pregnancy  and  in  cows  which  are 
barren.  It  seems,  however,  to  run  a  more  rapid  course 
in  pregnant  cows. 


PUERPERAL  MANIA  77 


PUERPERAL  MANIA 

This  is  a  somewhat  rare  pathological  condition,  but 
occurs  frequently  enough  in  cows  so  that  a  knowledge 
of  its  manifestations  is  essential. 

Puerperal  mania  is  important  in  the  main  because 
of  the  possibility  of  its  clinical  phenomena  being  mis- 
taken for  rabies.  In  itself,  in  so  far  as  prognosis  is 
concerned,  puerperal  mania  is  a  benign  and  very  tran- 
sient disease. 

It  is  seen  in  cows  nearly  always  during  the  last 
months  of  pregnancy,  or  during  the  first  week  after 
calving.  An  otherwise  kind  and  docile  cow  becomes 
suddenly  nervous  and  highly  excitable.  Within  a  few 
hours  she  becomes  violent,  well  nigh  unmanageable. 
If  she  is  not  confined  she  races  about  the  yard  or 
pasture  wildly,  bellowing  and  pawing  up  the  earth. 
Feces  and  urine  are  passed  in  small  quantities  every 
few  minutes  and  there  are  clonic  spasms,  or  ''rip- 
plings,*'  of  various  groups  of  muscles.  The  animal 
will  assume  a  wild,  menacing  attitude;  she  makes 
plunges  at  her  own  shadows,  and  will  pursue  dogs  or 
other  animals  that  intrude  on  her  domain.  She  is  less 
intent  on  rushing  at  human  beings;  she  may  threaten 
to  attack  but  is  easily  driven  off.  Her  apparent  vicious- 
ness  is  confined  to  rushing  at  objects  and  other  ani- 
mals ;  she  does  not  lay  hold  of  anything  with  her  teeth. 
When  she  rests,  the  conjunctiva  is  seen  to  be  injected, 
the  eyes  are  very  wide  open  and  prominent;  on  the 
whole,  the  beast  has  a  ^' crazy"  appearance. 

The  treatment  is  confined  to  placing  the  animal  in 
a  spacious  yard  or  other  enclosure  where  she  can  not 
easily  come  to  injury  while  plunging  about.  The 
prognosis  has  to  do  chiefly  with  the  duration  of  the 


78  SPECIAL  CATTLE  THERAPY 

attack;  this  is  so  variable  that  attempts  at  forecast- 
ing it  can  be  only  problematical.  All  signs  of  the 
disease  may  disappear  in  a  few  hours;  on  the  other 
hand,  the  attack  may  last  several  days  or  even  until 
the  termination  of  the  pregnancy. 

AVith  the  symptoms  of  puerperal  mania  in  mind, 
the  veterinarian  can  not  easily  confuse  the  condition 
with  rabies.  AYhile  at  first  sight  the  cow^  with  an 
attack  of  puerperal  mania  may  cause  some  concern 
through  the  fear  of  rabies,  a  calm  consideration  of 
the  situation  will  usually  decide  the  diagnosis.  We 
would  make  a  comparison  of  the  two  diseases  from 
the  standpoint  of  diagnosis  in  the  following  manner: 

Rabies  Puerperal  Mania 

Possible  history  of  attack  by 

dog   or   other   animal.  No  history  of  such  occurrence. 

Premonitory    symptoms,    such 

as  itching,  indisposition,  etc.     .  No  premonitory  signs. 

Dysphagia.  Swallows  normally. 

Attacks  viciously,  using  teeth       Attacks    excitedly    only;    will 
on  objects  poked   at  her.  not  grasp  objects  with  teeth. 

r 

Is   not   easily  prevented   from 

pursuing  her  attacks.  Is  easily  driven  off. 

Tends    towards    paralysis    and       Is     unchanged,     or     soon     im- 
prostration  rapidly.  proved. 

Death    is    practically    a    fore- 
gone conclusion.  Always  recover. 

Affects  both  sexes.  Affects  pregnant  females  only, 

or  those  in  the  puerperium. 

If,  even  then,  it  should  be  difficult  to  make  a  satis- 
factory diiferentiation  the  animal  should  be  isolated 
for  tw^enty-four  hours.  A  case  of  rabies  will  have 
developed  unmistakable  symptoms  at  the  end  of  that 
period;  whereas,  a  case  of  puerperal  mania  is  usually 
well  on  the  road  to  recovery  in  that  time. 


OBSTETRICAL  PARALYSIS  79 

While  recoveries  have  been  reported  in  cases  of 
rabies  it  is  very  doubtful  whether  they  were  correctly 
diagnosed.  We  can  readily  understand  how  one  hav- 
ing had  no  experience  with  puerperal  mania  could 
mistake  the  condition  for  rabies.  For  us,  however, 
the  very  fact  that  the  animal  survives  is  ample  evi- 
dence that  the  disease  with  which  the  animal  was  af- 
flicted was  not  rabies. 


OBSTETRICAL  PARALYSIS 

This  is  a  condition  which  follows  only  those  cases 
of  parturition  in  which  the  calf  is  exceedingly  large, 
or  cases  of  dystocia,  during  the  correction  of  which 
the  cow  is  subjected  to  prolonged  handling  and  bruis- 
ing. It  is  rarely,  if  ever,  seen  after  normal  delivery 
or  after  cases  of  minor  dystocia. 

The  ideal  circumstances  for  the  development  of  this 
condition  consist  in  prolonged  labor  due  to  an  abnor- 
mally large  fetus.  The  usual  history  is  that  the  cow 
was  down  during  the  birth  and  has  not  been  able  to 
get  up  since,  or  that  she  went  down  very  soon  after 
the  calf  was  delivered  and  is  unable  to  arise. 

These  cases  can  not  very  easily  be  confused  with 
parturient  paresis  because  the  entire  symptomatology 
in  obstetrical  paralysis  is  confined  to  the  inability  of 
the  cow  to  get  up.  In  every  other  way  the  animal 
is  normal;  no  sign  of  coma  or  indisposition  in  the 
least.  The  animal  eats  and  drinks  and  looks  well  in 
every  way.  The  most  careful  examination  will  bring 
out  nothing  of  value  in  diagnosis,  except  that  usually 
the  tumefied  condition  of  the  vulva  gives  evidence  of 
the  difficult  labor. 


80  SPECIAL  CATTLE  THERAPY. 

The  history  in  these  eases  determines  the  diagnosis. 
A  very  large  calf;  much  pulling;  long  time  in  effect- 
ing delivery.  Sometimes  these  cases  supervene  on 
cases  of  dystocia  which  the  veterinarian  himself  has 
been  called  to  relieve  and  it  is  on  this  point  that  1 
want  to  call  especial  attention  in  this  chapter. 

It  has  been  my  experience  that  obstetrical  paralysis 
will  not  develop  in  these  cases  where  the  cow,  if 
lying  when  delivery  is  effected,  is  immediately  made 
to  rise.  Every  mans  must  be  used  to  get  the  animal 
upon  her  feet  at  once  and  when  this  has  been  done 
some  one  should  remain  present  to  see  to  it  that  she 
remains  up  for  at  least  two  hours,  during  which  time 
a  little  walk  should  be  given  every  twenty  minutes. 

If  the  cow  is  on  her  feet  when  the  calf  is  delivered 
every  effort  should  be  made  to  keep  her  up  for  at 
least  two  hours,  walking  her  a  short  distance  every 
ten  or  twenty  minutes  during  this  time. 

I  can  sincerely  recommend  this  as  a  certain  preven- 
tive of  this  condition,  a  condition  which  is  very  un- 
satisfactory to  treat.  Once  obstetrical  paralysis  is 
fully  developed,  a  guarded  prognosis  must  always  be 
given. 

Some  of  these  cases  lie  around  in  this  condition  for 
three  or  four  weeks  and  then  die.  Others  lie  around 
just  as  long  and  recover.  Sometimes  the  condition 
terminates  in  complete  recovery  within  three  or  four 
days,  and  I  have  known  them  to  terminate  fatally 
also,  in  an  equally  short  period.  Recovery  is  the 
rule,  but  the  duration  of  the  period  of  recumbency 
is  so  varied  and  so  indefinite  that  statements  on  the 
part  of  the  veterinarian  forecasting  the  termination 
must  be  given  guardedly. 

Probably  the  best  and  most  prompt  effect  in  treat- 
ing cases  which  have  been  allowed  to  develop  this  con- 


PARTURIENT  SYNCOPE  81 

ditioii  (I  say  allowed  to  develop  it  because  it  can  cer- 
tainly be  prevented)  is  obtained  by  frequent  vaginal 
douching  with  hot  water  containing  just  a  trace  of 
fluid  extract  of  belladonna.  This  in  conjunction  with 
strychnin  or  nux  vomica  administered  internally  is 
rational  and  quite  satisfactory. 


PARTURIENT  SYNCOPE 

This  term,  parturient  syncope,  I  w^ould  give  to  a 
condition  occurring  with  considerable  regularity  in 
cows  after  calving  and  for  which  there  has  hereto- 
fore been  no   generally  recognized  name. 

It  is  most  commonly  seen  in  cows  which  have  given 
birth  to  three  or  four  calves,  rarely  in  younger  cows, 
and  hardly  ever  in  heifers.  It  follows  both  normal 
and  difficult  parturition  and  is  apparently  not  gov- 
erned by  any  degree  of  dystocia  or  absence  thereof. 
The  usual  history  in  these  cases  is  that  the  cow  has 
been  off  her  feed  since  she  had  her  calf,  a  day  or  two 
before.  In  some  cases  the  condition  does  not  become 
marked  until  four  or  five  days  or  even  a  week  after 
calving.  The  veterinarian  finds  the  symptoms  as  fol- 
lows : 

The  patient  appears  fairly  bright;  usually  the  ab- 
domen is  just  a  trifle  ''drawn."  The  temperature, 
if  not  normal,  is  raised  but  half  a  degree  or  so.  This 
is  all,  if  the  doctor  has  been  called  in  the  early 
stages  of  the  condition,  and  aside  from  the  fact  that 
the  cow  refuses  to  eat,  nothing  more  is  brought  out 
in  the  examination.  Of  course,  as  a  consequence  of 
the  anorexia,  milk  secretion  is  almost  absent.  If  the 
owner  has  not-  called  the  veterinarian  in  the  early 
stages,  the  latter  sees  a  greater  variety  of  symptoms 


82  SPECIAL  CATTLE  THERAPY 

when  he  is  called  to  a  case  of  this  kind  later;  he  finds 
now  what  could  have  been  avoided  by  prompt  and 
appropriate  treatment.  Dropsical  swellings  of  vary- 
ing proportions  are  now  present,  located  first  along 
the  front  of  the  trachea  and  later  gravitating  down 
between  the  forelegs.  Constipation  and  later  a  diar- 
rhea appears,  and  the  cow  now  has  a  haggard, 
''anxious"  countenance.  She  appears  somewhat  stiff 
and  does  not  care  to  move  about  much.  The  tem- 
perature is  normal  or  very  close  to  normal. 

The  treatment  in  the  early  stages  of  this  disease  is 
simple  and  promptly  satisfactory.  It  begins  with  a 
prolonged  flushing  of  the  genital  tract  with  very  warm 
antiseptic  solution.  Every  veterinarian  has  his  own 
favorite  antiseptic  for  such  purposes  and  any  one 
which  is  non-irritating  will  do.  One  such  douche,  if 
thoroughly  carried  out,  is  all  that  is  necessary  in  the 
early  stages  of  this  condition.  To  complete  the  han- 
dling of  the  case,  we  usually  leave  a  fe"w  doses  of 
nux  vomica. 

When  the  cow  has  been  allowed  to  develop  the  more 
severe  form  of  this  condition,  either  through  the  own- 
er *s  procrastination  or  the  veterinarian's  treatment, 
we  have  on  our  hands  a  very  grave  case,  and  one  very 
unsatisfactory  to  treat. 

The  heart  muscle  has  suffered  from  the  effects  of 
the  toxin  which  has  been  elaborated  and  slowly  ab- 
sorbed. We  are  assuming  that  we  have  to  deal  in 
this  condition  with  a  slow,  saprophitic  infection.  We 
are  led  to  this  assumption  chiefly  because  of  the  pe- 
culiar progress  of  the  symptoms — namely:  the  drop- 
sical swellings  in  the  absence  of  pyrexia  and  the 
almost  rheumatic  stiffness. 

We  begin  the  treatment  in  this  form  as  in  the 
milder    stages,    with    very    warm    antiseptic    douches. 


PARTURIENT  PARESIS  83 

Although  the  os  is  usually  firmly  closed  in  this  stage, 
the  irrigations  of  the  vaginal  canal  seem  to  do  much 
good.  These  douches  are  to  be  given  several  times 
daily  by  the  owner  or  attendant.  Medical  treatment 
internally  consists  of  spartein  sulphate,  from  twenty 
to  thirty  grains  three  or  four  times  daily  for  a  week, 
or  usually  until  the  dropsical  swellings  leave.  Warm 
quarters  and  good  nursing  help  much,  and  in  some 
cases  a  dose  of  mixed  bacterins  seems  to  do  good. 
The  mortality  is  very  high  w^here  the  ailment  is  al- 
lowed to  progress  to  this  stage. 


PARTURIENT  PARESIS 

This  disease,  commonly  termed  milk  fever,  is  of 
very   frequent   occurrence   in   dairy   cow^s. 

Not  so  many  years  ago  milk  fever  was  considered 
a  very  serious  disease;  it  w^as  usually  fatal.  Today 
this  disease  causes  but  few  deaths.  Although  the 
present  day  treatment  of  this  disease  is  wholly  em- 
pirical, it  is  the  one  disease  that  the  veterinarian  can 
almost  invariably  handle  with  success.  This  is  the 
more  astounding  when  we  take  into  consideration  the 
rapidity  with  which  the  disease  attacks  and  the  hyper- 
acute character  of  its  manifestations  once  it  becomes 
established.  In  but  few  other  pathological  condi- 
tions do  we  see  such  a  profound  symptomatology  occur 
so  precipitately.  In  a  way,  the  prompt  and  regular 
recovery  removes  the  stain  of  empirics  from  this  treat- 
ment to  a  certain  degree.  There  can  be  not  a  shadow 
of  doubt  but  what  the  present  day  treatment  of  par- 
turient paresis  is  correct.  Even  though  we  understood 
the  pathology  of  the  disease  fully,  it  is  not  probable 
that  we   could  make   any  improvement  in  the   treat- 


84  SPECIAL  CATTLE  THERAPY 

ment;  at  least  no  improvement  that  would  improve 
the  ultimate  effect. 

Parturient  paresis,  when  it  occurs  in  its  typical 
form,  is  diagnosed  ordinarily  from  the  history  and 
circumstances  appertaining.  Typically  the  disease 
makes  its  appearance  from  one  to  a  few  days  after 
parturition;  atypically  it  appears  after  the  lapse  of 
a  greater  number  of  days,  sometimeOeven  weeks  or 
months,  after  parturition,  and  in  a  few  instances  be- 
fore the  close  of  the  period  of  gestation.  When  the 
symptoms  of  parturient  paresis  occur  before  partu- 
rition, or  remotely  after  it,  the  term  parturient  pare- 
sis can  not  be  used  consistently;  we  would  suggest 
that  in  this  form  the  disease  be  given  the  name  of 
pre-parturient  paresis.  Whether  the  pre-parturient 
form  of  this  disease  is  the  same  as  the  parturient  form, 
pathologically,  is  a  question.  It  is  an  established  clin- 
ical fact,  however,  that  the  pre-parturient  form  re- 
sponds to  the  same  treatment  as  the  parturient. 

To  take  up  in  detail  the  circumstances,  periods,  va- 
riations, and  clinical  phenomena  of  this  disease  when 
it  occurs  in  an  atypical  form  would  make  a  small 
volume  in  itself.  In  the  diagnosis  of  this  disease  in 
an  atypical  form  the  veterinarian  has  to  rely  chiefly 
on  his  powers  of  intuition.  In  this  sense  we  can  find 
no  better  word  than  intuition;  that  form  of  diagnostic 
intuition  which  comes  to  the  practitioner  only  after 
close  contact  with  a  number  of  cases  of  a  given  kind 
in  actual  practice.  To  positively  diagnose  most  of  the 
cases  of  atypical  paresis  of  this  form  merely  from  the 
symptoms  and  clinical  manifestations  is  an  impossi- 
bility. What  is  usually  termed  a  snap  diagnosis  is 
what  is  called  for  here;  the  form  of  diagnosis  which 
old  and  experienced  practitioners  become  adept*  in. 
A  rapid  and  collective  mental  assimilation  of  the  evi- 


PARTURIENT  PARESIS  85 

dent  clinical  picture,  history,  circumstances  and  pre- 
sumptions; all  of  which  is  instantaneously  and  almost 
subconsciously  tabulated,  with  previous  experience  as 
a   guide,  and  the  diagnosis  is  made. 

Parturient  paresis  in  typical  form  presents  no  diffi- 
culties in  diagnosis.  It  follows  an  easy  parturition 
with  the  greatest  frequency.  This  is  one  of  the  points 
to  be  elicited  in  the  history  obtained  from  the  owner 
or  attendant — namely:  whether  the  parturition  has 
been  complicated  by  any  degree  of  dystocia.  The  dis- 
ease is  rarely,  almost  never,  seen  after  difficult  par- 
turition. 

The  cows  affected  are  almost  without  exception  in 
good  condition  and  heavy  milkers.  "While  young 
cows  are  more  frequently  affected,  the  disease  also  at- 
tacks aged  cows.  From  twenty-four  to  seventy-two 
hours  after  the  birth  of  the  calf  is  usually  the  time 
of  attack  in   the  typical  form. 

The  cow  refuses  her  feed  and  shows  a  stiffness  or 
stiltiness  in  her  movements  of  the  hind  legs.  Within 
not  more  than  a  few  hours  there  are  rigors  or  trem- 
bling of  the  posterior  muscle  groups  and  the  cow  is 
losing  the  co-ordination  of  movements  in  the  rear  ex- 
tremities; she  goes  ''wabbly"  behind,  and  while 
standing  still  constantly  shifts  her  weight  from  leg  to 
leg.  From  this  stage  it  is  only  a  matter  of  minutes, 
or  at  most  an  hour,  until  the  animal  goes  down.  Very 
soon  after  assuming  the  recumbent  attitude  there  ap- 
pear signs  of  drowsiness,  and  within  another  hour  or 
two  the  cow  is  in  a  comatose  condition.  She  fre- 
quently snores ;  the  neck  is  sharply  bent  on  itself  with 
the  head  resting  against  the  thorax  and  the  animal  is 
not  aroused  by  blows  or  chastisement.  In  well  marked 
cases  this  attitude  is  maintained  in  death,  which  may 
occur,  in  a  few  hours  if  the   animal  is  not  properly 


86  SPECIAL  CATTLE  THERAPY 

treated;  in  other  cases  death  is  preceded  by  convul- 
sions, terminating  in  opisthotonic  position.  In  most 
of  the  cases  to  which  the  veterinarian  is  called  the 
animal  is  down. 

The  early  signs  of  the  disease  frequently  are  not 
observed  by  the  attendant  or  owner;  in  other  in- 
stances the  disease  progresses  so  rapidly  that  even  if 
the  onset  of  the  disease  is  observed  and  recognized 
the  cow  goes  down  before  the  doctor  arrives.  He 
finds  the  patient  in  the  position  which  we  have  just 
described.  There  is  salivation  of  varying  degree;  the 
reflexes  are  abolished  almost  without  exception.  In 
most  cases  the  temperature  is  decidedly  subnormal 
taken  per  rectum,  running  as  low  as  96  degrees  Fahr- 
enheit in  some  cases.  The  history  which  accompa- 
nies— namely:  calf  born  a  day  or  two  before  without 
trouble,  etc. — decides  the  diagnosis. 

By  far  the  greater  number  of  cases  of  parturient 
paresis  constitute  in  themselves  the  sole  complication 
of  the  parturition.  We  mean  by  this  that  this  dis- 
ease is  only  very  rarely  accompanied  by  other  dis- 
eases or  accidents  of  pregnancy,  such  as  retention  of 
the  after-birth,  eversion  of  the  uterus,  and  other  trou- 
bles. Now  and  then  a  case  occurs  in  company  with 
such  conditions,  but  in  rare  instances  only. 

The  prognosis  in  parturient  paresis  is  favorable  as 
long  as  there  is  a  spark  of  life  in  the  cow.  We  have 
seen  quick  recoveries  in  cases  which  had  every  ap- 
pearance of  being  moribund.  In  parturient  paresis 
the  veterinarian  arrives  ''too  late"  only  if  he  arrives 
when  the  cow  is  dead.  While  it  is  highly  desirable 
and  advantageous  that  the  case  be  taken  in  hand  as 
soon  as  possible  after  the  onsat  of  the  attack,  hopes 
for  saving  the  animal's  life  and  usefulness  in  cases  in 
which  treatment  has  been  delayed,  should  never  be 


PARTURIENT  PARESIS  87 

given  up  as  long  as  the  cow  shows  signs  of  life.  In 
this  disease  the  old  saying  ''as  long  as  there  is  life 
there  is  hope"  is  most  fitting. 

We  urge  haste  in  beginning  the  treatment  of  any 
attack  of  parturient  paresis;  all  cases  should  be 
treated  at  once,  because  of  the  rapidity  with  which 
death  approaches  at  times.  But  at  the  same  time  we 
desire  to  caution  against  a  grave  or  unfavorable  prog- 
nosis in  cases  in  which  treatment  has  not  been  given 
promptly. 

We  wish  to  emphasize  this  point  because  we  have 
known  veterinarians  to  refuse  to  treat  cases  of  this 
disease  when  treatment  had  been  delayed  and  the 
animal  appeared  to  be  in  a  dying  condition. 

The  treatment  of  parturient  paresis  has  been  a  suc- 
cess since  the  introduction,  by  Schmidt,  of  the  potas- 
sium iodid  treatment.  Schmidt's  treatment  has  grad- 
ually been  converted  into  the  present  day  air  treat- 
ment, having  taken  various  steps,  from  iodid  of  potash 
solution  to  saline  solution,  to  sterile  water,  to  oxygen, 
and  lastly  to  atmospheric  air  pressure.  As  far  as  it  has 
been  possible  to  ascertain,  the  effects  which  are  ob- 
tained are  due  to  pressure  exerted  on  the  parts  within 
the  udder  with  which  the  various  agents  come  in  con- 
tact. But  even  this  is  not  fully  understood ;  as  we  said 
in  beginning  the  discussion  of  this  disease,  the  treat- 
ment is  empirical.  It  has  been  held  that  the  effect  of 
the  treatment  was  due  to  the  oxygen  content  of  the 
various  agents.  This  is  not  in  accord  with  practical 
evidence,  because  not  much  difference  is  seen  in  the 
result  whether  atmospheric  air  or  pure  oxygen  gas  is 
injected. 

Today,  in  this  country  at  least,  the  treatment  of 
parturient  paresis  is  commonly  called  the  ''air  treat- 
ment," and  consists  in  the  main  of  tensely  inflating  the 


88  SPECIAL  CATTLE  THERAPY 

udder  with  air.  Various  methods  are  in  vogue  for  this 
purpose  and  one  is  probably  as  good  as  another.  Most 
of  the  apparatus  used  for  this  purpose  consists  of  a  rub- 
ber bulb,  rubber  tubing,  and  a  milk  tube. 

No  matter  in  what  stage  of  the  attack  the  veteri- 
narian gets  the  case  the  treatment  is  the  same.  While 
the  veterinarian  is  preparing  an  antiseptic  solution 
and  assembling  his  air  machine  the  owner  or  attendant 
should  milk  the  udder  out  thoroughly.  Usually  there 
is  not  much  milk  present  in  the  udder,  but  what  is 
there  should  be  milked  out  thoroughly.  The  cow  is 
now  to  be  shoved  into  such  a  position  that  the  four 
teats  can  be  handled  easily;  usually  it  is  sufficient  to 
pull  the  upper  hind  leg  straight  backward. 

The  two  teats  on  the  under  side  are  to  be  inflated 
first.  The  entire  teat  is  washed  with  antiseptic  solu- 
tion, paying  special  attention  to  the  teat  orifice,  and 
the  milk  tube  attached  to  the  air  apparatus  is  then 
inserted.  Air  is  pumped  in  until  the  quarter  supplying 
the  teat  is  tensely  distended.  The  tube  is  then  care- 
fully removed  and  the  same  process  repeated  with  each 
of  the  remaining  teats. 

If  the  end  of  the  teat  is  repeatedly  pushed  into  itself 
until  the  distention  of  the  teat  proper  has  decreased 
to  a  certain  extent  no  more  air  will  escape.  To  ac- 
complish this  satisfactorily  requires  some  practice  but 
when  it  is  once  mastered  it  proves  a  good  ''stunt." 
"We  most  emphatically  condemn  the  application  of 
tapes  or  rubber  bands  to  the  teat  with  the  object  of 
preventing  the  escape  of  the  air.  If  they  are  applied 
sufficiently  tight  to  accomplish  the  purpose  for  which 
they  are  used  they  frequently  cause  trouble.  In  an 
experience  in  practice  over  a  period  of  more  than  ten 
years  we  have  never  had  an  unfavorable  sequel  di- 
rectly due  to  the  inflation  of  the  udder,  such  for  in- 


PARTUEIENT  PARESIS  89 

stance  as  mastitis  or  teat  strictures;  and  we  confess 
that  in  many  instances  we  have  not  taken  the  anti- 
septic precautions  demanded.  We  attribute  our 
''luck'^  to  the  aversion  we  have  towards  tapes  and 
rubber  bands  for  holding  the  air  in  the  udder.  Some 
of  our  friends  in  practice  who  were  using  tapes  or 
rubber  bands  had  cases  of  stricture  and  mastitis  as 
sequelae  at  times. 

When  all  four  quarters  have  been  properly  inflated 
it  has  been  the  custom  to  give  from  a  quarter  to  a 
grain  of  strychnin  sulphate  hypodermically.  For  some 
time  we  have  been  using  atropin  sulphate,  in  doses 
from  a  quarter  to  a  half  grain,  in  place  of  the  strych- 
nin. The  result  has  been  a  quicker  response  to  the 
treatment  and  a  more  prompt  complete  recovery. 
»  When  Ave  have  given  the  atropin  injection  we  see 
to  it  that  the  cow  is  thickly  covered  with  blankets, 
the  object  being  to  hasten  the  rise  of  the  body  tempera- 
ture to  normal,  toward  which  desirable  end  the  atropin 
injection  plays  no  small  part. 

In  our  experience  we  have  found  that  when  the  tem- 
perature rises  to  normal  the  animal  is  able  to  get  on 
her  feet.  In  atypical  cases  the  temperature  is  no  guide 
to  the  animal's  condition.  In  typical  cases  the  tem- 
perature is  a  very  reliable  guide,  so  much  so  with  us 
that,  when  the  temperature  approaches  normal  we  con- 
sider the  fight  won.  After  giving  the  atropin  and 
applying  several  layers  of  blankets  we  take  the  tem- 
perature every  fifteen  minutes.  In  most  cases  it  be- 
gins to  rise  promptly  and  usually  reaches  normal  be- 
fore three  hours  elapse.  As  the  temperature  rises  the 
coma  lessens,  the  cow  becomes  brighter  and  indulges 
in  frequent  acts  of  normally  performed  deglutition. 

We  do  uot  wait  for  the  cow  to  arise  voluntarily; 
as  soon  as  she  is  fairly  bright,  with  a  normal  or  near- 


90  SPECIAL  CATTLE  THERAPY 

normal  temperature,  we  urge  her  at  intervals.  As 
soon  as  she  makes  a  good  attempt  to  arise  she  is  as- 
sisted by  lifting  by  the  tail.  AVhen  she  gains  the  stand- 
ing position  she  is  supported  until  she  becomes  steady 
and  stands  firmly;  until  she  is  standing  quite  firmly 
she  must  not  be  permitted  to  move  about  for  fear  that 
she  may  fall.  When  she  does  stand  firmly  she  is  left 
to  herself;  water  may  be  allowed  but  no  feed  for  from 
eight  to  twelve  hours ;  at  the  end  of  that  time  she  may 
be  milked.  This  concludes  the  handling  of  this  disease 
in  its  usual  typical  form. 

We  will  now  consider  some  of  the  variations,  those 
especially  which  are  of  the  most  frequent  occurrence. 


Relapse 

In  some  cases  of  parturient  paresis,  which  in  the 
start  are  apparently  typical  cases,  the  cow  gives  only 
a  very  moderate  response  to  the  treatment.  She  be- 
gins to  brighten  up  some  but  after  an  hour  or  two 
no  further  progress  has  been  made.  In  such  cases 
the  best  method  is  to  '4eave  well  enough  alone"  for 
a  few  hours.  If  at  the  end  of  four  or  five  hours  no  fur- 
ther improvement  has  set  in  the  entire  course  of  treat- 
ment is  to  be  repeated.  In  other  cases  the  cow  re- 
sponds to  the  treatment  promptly,  gets  up  on  her  feet 
within  a  few  hours  and  is  apparently  entirely  relieved. 
After  about  eight  or  ten  hours  she  suddenly  develops 
another  attack,  goes  down,  and  soon  falls  into  a  coma- 
tose state.  In  cases  of  this  sort  the  entire  treatment 
is  to  be  repeated,  just  as  though  it  were  an  initial  at- 
tack. The  response  to  treatment  in  relapses  of  this 
disease  is  not  so  prompt  as  in  primary  attacks. 


PARTURIENT  P.\RESIS  91 

Pre-parturient  Attacks 

The  treatment  of  cases  occurring-  before  parturition 
is  exactly  the  same  as  that  for  cases  after  parturition. 

Eclamptic  Symptoms 

In  occasional  cases  of  parturient  paresis  the  cow  may 
show  symptoms  of  eclampsia.  There  is  not  a  very  well 
marked  degree  of  coma ;  but  instead  more  or  less  nerv- 
ousness, with  muscular  twitchings.  In  this  form  there 
is  a  true  dysphagia,  usually  accompanied  by  spasmodic 
contractions  in  the  region  of  the  larynx.  In  typical 
parturient  paresis  a  certain  degree  of  dysphagia  is 
also  present,  probably  due  to  the  general  coma  or 
lifelessness.  In  the  cases  presenting  eclamptic  signs 
the  dysphagia  is  a  true  one,  apparently  due  to  neurotic 
hyper-tension.  These  cases  are  to  be  given  the  air 
treatment  as  in  typical  cases.  By  no  means  administer 
strychnin  in  this  form  of  the  disease.  We  have  seen 
grave  symptoms  of  strychnin  poisoning  from  a  half- 
grain  hypodermic  dose  in  such  cases.  The  atropin 
injection  is  ideal  for  these,  and  is  usually  followed 
by  prompt  cessation  of  the  nervousness. 

It  has  been  our  experience  that  the  cases  showing 
symptoms  of  eclampsia  make  the  quickest  recoveries; 
it  is  only  necessary  to  omit  the  administration  of 
strychnin.  Otherwise  the  treatment  is  the  same  as 
for  the  typical  cases. 

Complications 

When  parturient  paresis  occurs  in  company  with 
such  conditions  as  a  retained  placenta  or  an  everted 
uterus  no  attempt  should  be  made  to  correct  these 
abnormalities  until   the   treatment  for  parturient  pa- 


92  SPECIAL  CATTLE  THERAPY 

resis  has  been  administered.  The  inflation  of  the 
udder  and  the  hypodermatic  injection  of  atropin  sul- 
phate consumes  only  a  few  minutes  time,  after  which 
the  correction  of  the  other  abnormalities  can  be  under- 
taken with  safety. 

Prevention 

For  the  prevention  of  the  occurrence  of  parturient 
paresis  in  dairy  cows  we  can  offer  no  remedy.  In  dif- 
ferent localities  different  theories  exist  in  this  regard, 
most  of  them  being  particular  ideas  about  feeding  be- 
fore calving,  or  certain  notions  about  milking  the 
cow  before  calving.  Others  consist  of  laxative  treat- 
ment ante-partum.  We  have  seen  the  disease  occur 
in  spite  of  all  precautions  and  supposedly  preventive 
measures,  and  have  no  great  faith  in  any  one  or  the 
other.  If  we  had  any  choice  in  this  regard  we  would 
side  with  the  theory  which  recommends  the  adminis- 
tration of  a  cathartic  just  before  calving. 


PATHOGNOMONIC  SYMPTOM       93 


A  PATHOGNOMONIC  SYMPTOM  OF  FETAL 
DEATH 

It  is  a  common  occurrence  for  the  practitioner  to  be 
called  in  attendance  on  cows  heavy  in  calf  and  pre- 
senting symptoms  of  a  somewhat  doubtful  character. 
These  cases,  in  cows  nearly  due  to  calve,  are  always 
important  from  the  standpoint  of  their  effect  on  the 
reputation  of  the  attending  surgeon.  An  error  in 
diagnosis  and  wrong  treatment  in  these  cases  usually 
results  disastrously  for  the  doctor,  even  if  not  for  the 
cow. 

A  variety  of  pathological  conditions  within  the  uter- 
us present  very  complex  symptoms  and  it  requires  con- 
siderable experience  to  recognize  and  classify  them 
correctly.  There  is,  however,  one  symptom  in  this 
class  of  cases  which  is  almost  absolutely  reliable  and 
can  always  be  depended  upon.  This  is  the  rapid,  some- 
times chorea-like  twitching  of  the  vulva  in  those  cases 
in  which  the  fetus  is  dead  and  undergoing  degenerative 
changes.  This  twitching  of  the  vulva  is  also  seen  in 
other  diseases,  but,  in  cows  nearing  the  end  of  the 
period  of  gestation  it  is  a  sure  diagnostic  sign  of  fetal 
death  when  accompanied  by  fever,  anorexia  and  other 
usual  symptoms. 

For  many  years  I  have  not  hesitated  to  base  my 
diagnosis  of  fetal  death  on  this  sign  and  I  have  never 
yet  been  deceived  by  it.  Remember  I  say  this  sign 
is  reliable  when  the  fetus  is  dead  and  undergoing  de- 
generative changes. 

I  have  not  been  able  to  test  its  reliability  in  other 
animals  than  cows,  in  fact,  am  not  sure  whether  it  is 
a  symptom  in  other  animals.  However,  in  the  cow  I 
have  so  much  confidence  in  this  sign  that  I  never  hesi- 


94  SPECIAL  CxVTTLE  THERAPY 

late  to  begin  preparations  for  delivering  the  calf  at 
once  when  this  symptom  is  present,  and  in  every  case 
I  find  a  putrid  fetus.  This  sign  is  doubly  valuable  as 
an  aid  to  diagnosis  of  these  cases  because,  usually,  a 
putrid  fetus  is  retained;  only  rarely  is  a  putrid  fetus 
expelled  spontaneously  at  the  end  of  the  period  of 
gestation.  All  practitioners  recognize  the  gravity  of 
this  condition. 

It  must,  of  course,  be  understood  that  this  diagnostic 
sign  is  in  reference  to  those  cases  in  which  the  fetus 
dies  and  begins  to  degenerate  while  the  os  is  still 
closed.  It  would  be  of  no  value  and  has  no  bearing 
on  cases  of  fetal  death  resulting  at  the  close  of  the 
gestation  period  from  dystocia. 

RABIES 

Rabies  is  not  a  common  disease  of  dairy  cattle. 
When  it  does  occur  the  diagnosis  is  made  with  little 
difficulty  ordinarily;  because  a  good  history  of  the 
manner  of  infection,  almost  without  exception  a  dog 
bite,  can  usually  be  obtained. 

The  period  of  incubation  in  this  disease  is  quite 
variable,  depending  upon  the  amount  of  virus  that  has 
been  deposited,  the  virulency  of  the  virus,  the  resist- 
ance of  the  patient,  and  the  location  of  the  wound. 
The  period  of  incubation  is  shortest,  other  things  be- 
ing equal,  when  the  bite  is  inflicted  on  the  head;  ani- 
mals bitten  on  the  extremities  take  a  longer  time  to 
develop  the  symptoms  of  the  disease.  Probably  in  no 
case,  however,  does  the  period  of  incubation  exceed 
three  months;  belief  is  no  longer  held  in  excessively 
long  periods  of  incubation  in  this  disease.  Now  that 
the  infective  organism  has  been  recognized  we  may 
expect  positive  data  on  this  point  in  the  near  future. 


RABIES  95 

The  diagnosis  of  rabies  clinically  can  be  made  with 
reasonable  certainty  by  many  experienced  practition- 
ers. A  positive  diagnosis  is  possible  only  by  laboratory 
methods.  In  cattle  rabies  occurs  almost  wholly  in  the 
furious  form;  cases  of  paralytic  rabies  have  been  re- 
ported in  cattle  only  a  few  times. 

Nearly  always  the  first  symptom  in  cows  is  general 
restlessness ;  the  animal  moves  forward  and  backward, 
or  stamps;  shakes  the  head,  gets  up  and  lies  down  at 
short  intervals.  Every  few  minutes  small  quantities 
of  urine  and  feces  are  passed,  and  the  cow  acts  much 
as  when  in  heat.  Now  she  begins  to  bellow  furiously, 
persisting  sometimes  for  a  quarter  to  half  an  hour 
without  a  stop. 

The  eyes  are  excessively  dilated,  with  the  conjunc- 
tiva markedly  injected  and  the  vessels  on  the  sclera 
prominent.  The  expression  of  the  face  is  that  of  a 
combination  of  fear  and  anger,  an  expression  that  is 
characteristic  of  the  disease,  and  which  experienced 
practitioners  recognize  as  readily  as  the  expression 
of  the  face  in  equine  tetanus.  (In  some  cases  there 
is  some  pruritus  before  other  symptoms  develop,  but 
we  have  seen  only  occasionally  itching  and  rubbing 
of  the  location  of  the  wound  through  which  the  infec- 
tion entered.  While  this  may  be  a  regular  symptom 
in  other  animals  we  have  almost  never  seen  it  in  our 
experience  with  this  disease  in  cattle.) 

The  cow,  if  confined,  soon  begins  to  make  attempts 
to  free  herself;  she  plunges  backward  and  forward, 
rears  up,  and  performs  other  acts  of  violence.  If 
other  animals  or  persons  approach  her  she  makes  furi- 
ous attempts  to  attack  them.  If  an  object,  such  as 
a  broom  or  stick  of  wood  is  held  in  front  of  her  she 
fiercely  bunts  it  with  her  head  and  grasps  it  v;^ith  the 
teeth  if  permitted  to  do  so. 


96  SPECIAL  CATTLE  THERAPY 

If  the  animal  is  in  pasture  or  yard  she  races  about, 
pawing  up  the  earth,  and  rushing  wildly  at  all  who 
approach.  Evidently  there  is  no  true  hydrophobia 
(or  fear  of  water)  for  cows  affected  Avith  rabies  will 
plunge  into  creeks,  tanks,  or  other  receptacles  for 
Avater.  They  are  unable  to  drink,  however,  because  of 
well-marked  dysphagia. 

Later,  .these  spells  of  ferocity,  which  in  the  begin- 
ning are  of  short  duration  become  more  prolonged 
and  recur  at  shorter  intervals.  In  all  from  six  to 
twelve  hours  are  spent  in  this  actively  furious  stage. 
The  symptoms  then  become  somewhat  milder;  the  cow^ 
shows  some  lack  of  co-ordination  in  movement;  there 
is  now  ptosis  of  one  or  both  lids,  and  general  evidences 
of  both  nerve  and  muscular  exhaustion.  After  a  few 
hours  of  staggering  about  she  goes  down,  lying  in  odd 
positions  and  struggling  in  convulsions,  sometimes  for 
hours,  before  death  comes. 

In  our  cases  the  whole  course  of  the  disease,  from 
initial  signs  to  termination  in  death,  rarely  required 
more  than  thirty-six  or  forty-eight  hours. 

The  treatment  of  rabies  is  considered  hopeless  once 
it  develops;  the  only  hope  lies  in  prophylaxsis.  Sev- 
eral of  the  manufacturers  of  biologicals  now  have  fa- 
cilities for  supplying  veterinarians  with  the  preventive 
treatment  of  Pasteur;  the  inoculation  for  each  day  is 
sent  by  mail  in  the  order  in  which  it  is  to  be  used. 
While  the  treatment  is  too  expensive  for  common  cows 
we  recommend  it  in  valuable  animals  that  have  been 
attacked  by  rabid  dogs.  Animals  showing  symptoms 
of  rabies  should  either  be  permitted  to  develop  the 
disease  fully  so  that  the  diagnosis  may  be  made  reason- 
ably certain  by  clinical  means,  or  they  should  be  im- 
mediately destroyed  and  the  head  submitted  to  the 
laboratory  for  diagnosis.     Either  of  these  procedures 


PARTIAL  RETENTION  OF  SECUNDINES     97 

makes  it  possible  for  persons  who  have  exposed  them- 
selves to  infection  by  handling  the  animal  or  who  have 
been  bitten,  to  act  according  to  the  findings.  Either 
they  should  submit  themselves  to  the  Pasteur  treat- 
ment at  once  or,  if  the  diagnosis  is  negative,  ''forget 
it/'  Where  there  are  no  laboratory  facilities,  to  de- 
stroy the  animal  before  the  disease  has  developed 
fully,  so  that  it  can  be  diagnosed  clinically,  is  a  display 
of  poor  judgment. 


EFFECTS  OF  PARTIAL  RETENTION  OF 
-  SECUNDINES 

When  a  considerable  portion  of  the  fetal  envelopes 
is  permanently  retained  in  the  uterus  of  the  cow  patho- 
logical conditions  of  various  forms  develop. 

A  portion  of  the  after-birth  may  be  retained  in  the 
uterus  when  the  cow  apparently  ''cleans"  in  a  normal 
manner.  In  other  instances  portions  of  the  membranes 
are  left  in  the  uterus  when  the  after-birth  is  extracted 
manually  by  inexperienced  persons,  or  even  by  veteri- 
narians. 

The  custom  of  attaching  w^eights  to  the  protruding 
portion  of  the  after-birth  with  the  object  of  hastening 
its  expulsion  usually  results  in  only  partial  removal 
of  the  membranes  and  the  retention  of  a  greater  or 
less  amount  thereof. 

The  most  frequent  results  of  a  partial  retention  of 
the  secundines  are  the  following: 

1.  Uterine  Catarrh. 

2.  Cachexia. 

3.  Pyo-metra. 

4.  Sterility. 


98  SPECIAL  CATTLE  THERAPY 

Catarrh — When  the  portion  retained  is  relatively 
small  there  follows  usually  a  catarrhal  uterine  dis- 
charge which  persists  indefinitely.  The  character  of 
this  discharge  varies  from  a  mucous  or  slimy  fluid  re- 
sembling the  lochial  discharge  to  a  discharge  of  pure 
pus  streaked  with  blood. 

This  discharge  usually  makes  its  escape  when  the 
cow  is  in  the  recumbent  position,  several  ounces  being 
emitted  daily  in  some  cases.  The  cow's  tail  and  es- 
cutcheon are  soiled  with  the  fluid,  which  later  dries 
and  forms  a  mat  of  filth.  The  discharge  has  a  putrid 
odor  and  usually  cows  suffering  from  this  condition 
can  be  detected  in  a  herd  by  this  odor  alone. 

In  other  instances  the  discharge  escapes  only  at  in- 
tervals of  two  or  three  wrecks,  usually  about  at  the 
normal  periods  of  estrum.  While  the  general  condition 
and  well-being  of  the  cow  is  not  affected  to  any  ex- 
tent as  long  as  the  condition  confines  itself  to  a 
catarrhal  affection,  cow^s  so  affected  should  be  consid- 
ered as  giving  impure  milk.  The  milk  from  cows  so 
affected  is  unfit  for  human  consumption  if  from  no 
other  standpoint  than  an  esthetic  one. 

Cows  suffering  from  catarrhal  conditions  of  the 
uterus  as  the  result  of  partial  retention  of  the  secun- 
dines  frequently  become  sterile. 

The  treatment  of  the  condition  in  this  form  is  no 
more  rew^arded  with  satisfactory  results  than  are  the 
more  severe  forms,  such  as  when  the  condition  results 
in  cachexia  and  pus  collections,  for  instance.  If  the 
veterinarian  is  called  in  w^hile  the  os  is  yet  sufficiently 
dilated  to  admit  the  insertion  of  an  irrigating  tube  and 
the  proper  drawing  off  of  the  fluid,  he  may  be  able 
to  obtain  fairly  good  and  prompt  results  from  irri- 
gations with  warm  chinosol  solutions  of  about  1  to 
2,000   strength. 


PARTIAL  RETENTION  OF  SECUNDINES     99 

These  irrigations  must  be  copious,  and  should  be 
I'epeated  two  or  three  times  daily  as  long  as  it  is  pos- 
sible to  enter  the  tube  and  properly  drain  out  the  solu- 
tion. If  doubt  exists  about  being  able  to  thoroughly 
siphon  off  the  fluid  which  it  is  intended  to  inject  the 
injections  had  better  not  be  given.  The  retention  of 
quantities  of  antiseptic  solutions,  or  even  sterile  water, 
may  evoke  sufficient  irritation  and  straining  to  pro- 
duce severe  complications;  such,  for  instance,  as  vag- 
inal prolapse.  Usually  the  veterinarian  does  not  get 
the  case  until  the  os  has  contracted  so  that  the  opening 
will  barely  admit  a  small  finger.  In  that  case  w^e  do 
not  advise  the  use  of  the  antiseptic  irrigations,  and  it 
is  extremely  doubtful  whether  any  form  of  treatment 
is  of  actual  benefit.  The  effect  of  remedial  agents  ad- 
ministered orally  is  very  uncertain  and  hardly  worth 
the  trouble. 

Cachexia. — In  some  cases  resulting  from  a  partial  re- 
tention of  the  after-birth  we  see  very  w^ell-marked 
systemic  effects.  The  cow  slowly  loses  weight  and 
gradually  wastes  aw^ay.  At  the  end  of  several  months 
she  is  a  weak,  wabbly  critter  with  a  staring  coat  and 
general  unthrifty  appearance.  She  has  become  a 
"boarder,"  giving  little  or  no  milk;  as  a  rule  she  is 
barren.  If  she  is  carefully  fed  she  may  eventually  re- 
gain some  semblance  of  her  former  condition.  In  most 
instances,  however,  if  she  does  not  develop  an  acute 
attack  of  pyo-metra  and  die,  she  is  sold  to  the  butcher. 

Treatment  is  far  from  satisfactory.  If  antiseptic 
irrigations  of  the  uterus  are  possible  they  can  be  used 
with  some  benefit.  Tonics  and  good  feed  help  some. 
In  occasional  cases  mixed  bacterins  seem  to  do  much 
good. 

Many  of  these  cases  apparently  respond  nicely  to 
treatment  at  first,  then  suddenly  relapse.     Soon  they 


100  SPECIAL  CATTLE  THERAPY 

reach  such  a  weakened  condition  that  they  remain 
recumbent,  dying  from  decubitus  before  many  days. 

Pyo-metra. — In  another  class  of  cases  resulting  from 
the  same  cause  we  see  violent,  acute  symptoms  of  pus 
absorption  after  varied  intervals.  In  these  cases  the 
contents  of  the  uterus  have  no  doubt  been  transformed 
into  a  sea  of  pus.  We  have  repeatedly  seen  this  dem- 
onstrated post-mortem. 

For  several  weeks  the  cow  has  been  exhibiting  signs 
of  a  partial  retention  of  the  after-birth ;  there  has  been 
some  discharge  from  the  uterus  of  a  muco-purulent 
character  and  the  cow  has  not  been  thriving.  Now  she 
shows  unmistakable  signs  of  serious  illness;  a  rigor, 
with  a  temperature  of  perhaps  105  to  106  degrees  Fah- 
renheit. The  respirations  are  shallow  and  quite  irregu- 
lar; probably  ten  or  twelve  rapid  respiratory  move- 
ments are  seen,  and  then  a  few  are  performed  more 
slowly,  and  so  on.  The  appetite  is  lacking  and  the  cow 
moans  at  intervals.  She  stands  somewhat  ''humped 
up,"  and  does  not  care  to  move  about  much.  The 
lower  commissure  of  the  vulva  and  the  tail  over  the 
vulva  are  soiled  with  discharges  and  matted  filth.  A 
quite  characteristic  odor  prevails,  and  when  the  ani- 
mal lies  down,  purulent  fluid  escapes  from  the  vulva. 
Death  may  occur  in  from  one  to  three  or  four  days, 
or  the  cow  may  survive  the  attack,  becoming  a  ''liv- 
ing skeleton"  at  the  end  of  several  weeks. 

Aside  from  irrigating  the  uterus  when  it  can  be 
done,  the  treatment  is  w^holly  symptomatic. 

Sterility. — Pathological  conditions  caused  by  a  par- 
tial retention  of  the  after-birth  very  frequently  ter- 
minate in  barenness.  Even  in  very  mild  catarrhal 
forms  of  such  conditions  it  is  frequently  a  very  difficult 
matter  to  get  the  cow  in  calf  again;  usually  several 
services   are   required   and  the   animal   does  not   con- 


ALOPECIA  AREATA  101 

ceive  until  the  catarrhal  condition  has  been  terminated. 
In  some  instances  the  sterility  is  temporary  in  char- 
acter, depending  probably  upon  the  relative  activity 
of  the  diseased  condition  within  the  uterus;  after  one 
or  two  seasons  of  barrenness  the  cow  will  again  be- 
come pregnant.  Many  cases,  however,  terminate  in 
permanent  worthlessness  of  the  cow  for  breeding  or 
dairy  .purposes. 


ALOPECIA  AREATA 

This  is  a  condition  characterized  by  the  falling  out 
of  the  hair  in  irregular  spots  on  various  parts  of  the 
body. 

The  condition  deserves  mention  in  this  treatise  only 
for  the  reason  that  valuable  breeding  or  show  animals 
are  apt  to  be  disfigured  by  the  affection  to  such  an 
extent  that  their  market  or  showing  qualities  are  in- 
jured. ' 

Alopecia  areata  appears  as  a  purely  local  disease ;  no 
systemic  derangement  is  noticed.  It  begins  with 
the  appearance  of  small,  rounded  bald  areas,  which 
first  appear  on  the  neck  and  shoulders  as  a  rule. 
Gradually  these  bald  areas  enlarge  in  size,  and  fresh 
spots  appear  in  other  regions  also.  The  skin  is  ap- 
parently normal,  at  least  nothing  in  the  form  of  a 
skin  lesion  per  se  can  be  detected.  In  aggravated 
cases  the  bald  areas  may  reach  great  dimensions;  bare 
patches  of  the  size  of  two  hands  are  not  unusual. 

The  treatment  of  this  disease  is  wholly  empirical. 
In  some  cases  we  have  obtained  fine  results  from  mas- 
saging the  bald  areas  with  pure  cajuput  oil,  while  at 
the  same  time  a  course  of  alterative  treatment  was 
given  internally.     "We   can  recommend  no  treatment 


102  SPECIAL  CATTLE  THERAPY 

which  gives  constantly  uniform  results.  Many  cases 
resist  all  forms  of  treatment  and  the  condition  goes 
on  in  spite  of  anything  which  may  be  done.  Until  the 
pathology  of  this  disease  is  more  fully  understood  we 
can  hope  to  make  but  little  progress  along  the  lines 
of  curative  treatment. 


HERPES  TONSURANS 


This  is  an  affection  of  the  skin.  It  is  commonly 
known  as  ''ring-worm." 

The  form  of  ring-worm  disease  which  is  the  most 
common  in  cattle  is  slightly  different  from  that  in 
other  animals  as  regards  clinical  manifestations.  It 
is  characterized  by  the  appearance  of  layers  of  bark- 
like, or  almost  wart-like,  formations  on  various  parts 
of  the  body. 

The  parts  of  the  body  most  frequently  involved  are 
the  head,  croup,  anal  and  vulvar  region,  and  withers. 

The  disease  commonly  is  infectious  and  trans- 
missible in  nature,  usually  affecting  a  number  of  ani- 
mals in  the  herd.  It  is  transmissible  to  man  also,  and 
the  caretaker  of  infected  animals  not  infrequently 
develops  the  disease.  It  is  presumed  that  the  infection 
is  spread  by  currycombs  and  brushes  and  similar 
agencies.  The  disease  is  slightly  more  prevalent  in 
young  cattle  than  in  old  ones,  and  occurs  under  all 
conditions  of  housing  as  well  as  at  pasture. 

The  first  recognizable  manifestation  of  this  malady 
consists  of  the  appearance  of  very  small,  hard  and 
rounded,  wart-like  nodules.  They  may  make  their  ap- 
pearance on  various  parts  of  the  body  simultaneously; 
usually,  however,  the  different  locations  become  in- 
volved successively.     In  this  stage  there  is  some  pru- 


HERPES  TONSURANS  103 

ritus,  which  the  animal  demonstrates  by  rubbing  the 
part  on  posts  and  other  objects. 

In  the  course  of  three  or  four  weeks  the  nodules  in- 
crease to  a  considerable  size.  They  are  no  longer 
rounded,  but  now  appear  irregularly  flattened  and 
raised  on  the  normal  skin  surface.  Their  color  is  of  a 
greyish,  ashlike  tint,  and  their  thickness  sometimes 
exceeds  half  an  inch.  In  the  anal  and  vulvar  region 
they  usually  assume  a  very  irregular  outline  and  frc- 
(juently  occur  in  clusters  in  these  locations. 

The  immediate  outer  edge  of  the  formation  is  usual- 
ly free,  and  a  considerable  portion  can  be  jerked  loose 
without  disclosing  any  vascular  basic  attachments.  We 
frequently  have  seen  these  bark-like  formations  assume 
the  size  of  the  hand. 

The  disease  evidently  interferes  in  some  manner 
with  the  nutrition,  because  the  animals  affected  lose 
some  weight,  almost  invariably.  This  impairment  of 
the  usual  well-being  can  hardly  be  attributed  to  the 
irritation  which  exists  because,  as  a  rule,  after  the 
nodular  stage  has  been  passed  there  is  apparently  lit- 
tle or  no  pruritus. 

The  treatment  of  this  form  of  ring-worm  disease 
is  quite  satisfactory.  Those  of  the  formations  that  are 
quite  loose  are  forcibly  removed  and  the  underlying 
active  base  is  then  painted  twice  daily  with  pure  iodin 
tincture.  A  week  of  these  paintings  terminates  the 
trouble  here. 

The  formations  which  can  not  be  safely  extracted 
because  of  extensive  contact  with  the  dermal  tissues 
are  to  be  soaked  several  times  daily  with  olive  oil  to 
which  a  small  proportion  of  volatile  oil  has  been  added. 
After  five  to  seven  days  of  these  oil  soakings  most  of 
the  formation  can  be  removed  without  trouble.  The 
exposed  active  area  is  then  submitted  to  the  iodin  treat- 
ment twice  daily  until  cured. 


104  SPECIAL  CATTLE  THERAPY 

In  all  cases  under  treatment  careful  examination  of 
the  entire  skin  should  be  made  frequently  with  the 
object  of  locating  fresh  foci  in  the  nodular  form. 

When  some  of  the  formations  occur  on  the  upper 
eyelid,  where  the  iodin  applications  can  not  be  made, 
powdered  iodoform  is  pressed  into  the  active  area 
after  the  growths  have  been  removed. 
■  In  all  cases  it  is  well  to  apply  the  iodin  over  an  area 
considerably  larger  than  the  seat  of  the  trouble. 

Ring-worm  disease  should  be  considered  by  the  vet- 
erinarian as  a  transmissible  affection.  Animals  which 
have  the  disease  should  not  be  permitted  to  mingle 
with  the  herd  in  yard  or  pasture,  and  separate  curry- 
combs and  brushes  should  be  used  for  them. 

If  the  disease  is  well  established  in  the  herd  when 
the  veterinarian  assumes  charge  he  should  order  the 
disinfection  of  the  stable  and  then  have  all  posts  or 
other  rubbing  places  either  white-washed  or  painted. 
If  prophjdactic  measures  are  ignored  it  may  prove  a 
difficult  matter  to  stamp  out  the  infection.  As  one 
case  heals  up  another  breaks  out,  and  almost  all  of  the 
herd  may  develop  some  degree  of  the  trouble. 


ANTE  PARTUM  VAGINAL  PROLAPSE   105 


ANTE-PARTUM  VAGINAL  PROLAPSE 

This  affection  is  not  rare  in  dairy  practice. 

It  occurs  only  in  cows  which  have  given  birth  to 
several  calves;  never  (or  exceedingly  rarely)  in  heif- 
ers. 

The  condition  occurs  usually  in  a  very  typical  man- 
ner, the  only  variation  in  a  given  number  of  cases  be- 
ing the  extent  to  which  the  vagina  protrudes  outside 
the  vulva.  This  varies  from  a  mass  the  size  of  an 
orange,  consisting  of  the  vaginal  floor,  to  complete 
eversion  of  the  vagina  as  far  as  the  cervix  or  os  uteri. 

The  trouble  first  makes  its  appearance  as  a  rounded, 
pinkish  mass  which  can  be  seen  forcing  itself  between 
the  lips  of  the  vulva  when  the  cow  is  lying  down. 
When  the  cow  is  standing  the  mass  falls  back  into  nor- 
mal position  and  can  no  longer  be  seen;  nor  is  it  pos- 
sible, with  the  cow  in  the  standing  position,  to  detect 
the  abnormality  at  this  stage  by  vaginal  examination. 

In  some  cases  the  condition  does  not  change  much, 
remaining  as  a  small  protrusion  of  the  vaginal  floor, 
that  is  visible  only  when  the  cow  lies  down.  It  is 
terminated  with  parturition.  In  other  instances,  how- 
ever, the  case  gradually  increases  in  severity,  the 
mass  which  protrudes  slowly  assumes  greater  dimen- 
sions; until  towards  the  approach  of  parturition  it 
causes  some  concern.  From  contact  with  the  floor  or 
edge  of  the  gutter  the  mass  becomes  eroded  in  places. 
This  causes  the  entire  vaginal  mucosa  to  become  the 
seat  of  a  low-grade  inflammation.  The  eroded  surfaces 
have  been  converted  into  foul-smelling  ulcers,  with 
the  result  that  the  cow  strains  frequently  so  that  the 
mass  now  makes  its  appearance  outside  the  vulva  even 
when  the  cow  is  standing.     If  the  cow  does  not  give 


106  SPECIAL  CATTLE  THERAPY 

birth  to  her  calf  prematurely  in  these  aggravated  cases 
there  is  at  least  danger  of  an  eversion  of  the  uterus 
after  parturition. 

In  a  small  proportion  of  these  cases  the  parturition 
proceeds  normally  without  any  accompanying  mishaps, 
but  the  vaginal  prolapse  persists.  In  such  cases  the 
prolapse  sometimes  becomes  more  extensive  than  be- 
fore parturition  and  the  constant  straining  finally  is 
the  cause  of  adding  a  degree  of  rectal  eversion  to  the 
trouble.     Only  recently  we  saw  a  case  of  this  kind. 

This  cow  had  had  a  moderate  vaginal  prolapse  be- 
fore calving.  This  persisted  after  calving  and  w^ithin 
ten  days  increased  to  complete  eversion  of  the  vagina 
to  the  OS  uteri,  and  an  accompanying  eversion  of  the 
rectum,  protruding  four  or  five  inches  outside  the 
anus. 

In  very  mild  forms  of  this  condition  no  treatment 
is  required.  The  cow  does  not  seem  to  be  inconven- 
ienced in  any  other  respect  and  usually  the  trouble 
ends  with  parturition.  If  it  is  seen,  however,  that  the 
mass  is  increasing  in  size  treatment  should  not  be  de- 
layed. 

Before  an  intelligent  treatment  can  be  applied  it  is 
absolutely  essential  that  the  veterinarian  make  a  care- 
ful vaginal  and  rectal  examination.  In  this  examina- 
tion we  attempt  to  locate  an  abnormality  in  the  region 
which  might  be  responsible  for  the  condition. 

First  among  these  abnormalities  stand  concretions 
or  a  catarrhal  condition  in  the  sub-urethral  diverticu- 
lum. Removal  of  exciting  concretions  or  catarrhal  dis- 
charges from  the  diverticulum,  with  following  irriga- 
tions of  mild  astringent  and  antiseptic  solutions  satis- 
factorily terminate  some  cases. 

In  other  instances  an  ulcerative  condition  in  the 
rectum  is  the  direct  cause.    This  must  be  found;  usual- 


ANTE  PARTUM  VAGINAL  PROLAPSE   107 

ly  it  is  not  far  from  tlie  anus.  (In  one  case  we  saw  a 
necro-ulcerative  area  affecting  the  rectal  mucosa  the 
size  of  a  small  hand.)  This  must  be  thoroughly  cleaned 
and  cauterized;  laxatives  and  tonics  prescribed  and 
rectal  irrigations  persisted  in  until  the  area  is  healed. 
The  vaginal  prolapse  disappears  with  the  healing  of 
the  rectal  lesion. 

Where  neither  the  rectal  trouble  nor  abnormalities 
in  the  sub-urethral  fossa  are  found,  good  results  fre- 
quently come  from  aiming  treatment  at  vesical  tenes- 
mus. Stramonium  gives  the  best  results  in  half-dram 
doses  three  times  daily.  A  few  doses  of  salol,  about 
a  dram  each,  in  the  beginning  help  to  hasten  results. 

In  still  other  cases  the  most  careful  and  thorough 
examination  fails  to  disclose  the  cause  of  the  pro- 
lapse and  the  condition  resists  all  treatment;  but  in 
these  and  in  fact  in  all  cases  acetanilid,  in  rather  small 
doses  (one  to  three  drams)  every  three  hours  is  some- 
times markedly  palliative  and  will  hold  the  straining 
in  abeyance  until  the  normal  time  for  parturition  ar- 
rives; when  help  must  be  given  the  animal  to  enable 
her  to  deliver  the  fetus.  Usually  the  acetanilid  will 
need  to  be  given  only  every  fourth  to  seventh  day  to 
prevent    straining. 

In  all  cases,  no  matter  what  the  abnormality  pro- 
ducing the  condition,  the  veterinarian  must  not  neg- 
lect to  treat  the  lesions  in  the  vagina,  such  as  ulcers 
or  other  injuries  resulting  from  contact  of  the  mass 
with  the  floor  while  the  cow  has  been  recumbent. 

When  eversion  of  the  vagina  occurs  in  a  marked  de- 
gree in  an  aged  cow  in  unthrifty  condition  it  is,  as  a 
rule,  a  good  plan  to  consign  the  animal  to  the  can- 
nery. In  the  event  that  the  owner  requests  that  some- 
thing be  done  in  such  instances  the  treatment  must  in- 
clude measures  aimed  at  the  restoration  of  the  general 


108  SPECIAL  CATTLE  THERAPY 

well-being,  such  as  suitable  tonic  treatment,  highly  nu- 
tritious feeds  and  sanitary  quarters.  In  most  cases 
of  this  disease  in  old  cows,  however,  the  trouble  and 
expense  of  treatment  render  inadvisable  the  attempt 
at  a  cure,  that,  even  in  exceptional  cases,  is  usually 
only  temporary  or  partial.  The  treatment  of  ante- 
partum vaginal  prolapse  requires  the  exercise  of  good 
judgment,  from  an  economic  standpoint,  in  many  in- 
stances. 


EVERSION  OF  THE  UTERUS 

Eversion  of  the  uterus  is  always  a  very  serious  con- 
dition in  cows.  A  complete  eversion  of  the  uterus  pre- 
sents a  most  discouraging  spectacle  and  in  all  veter- 
inary practice  there  is  no  condition  presenting  an  ana- 
tomical displacement  of  more  formidable  proportions. 

There  seems  to  be  no  fixed  rule  or  combination  of  cir- 
cumstances for  the  occurrence  of  this  accident  in  cows. 
The  condition  has  been  seen  in  range  catUe  as  well  as 
in  dairy  cattle.  One  possible  explanation  of  an  excit- 
ing cause  might  b?  an  exceptionally  heavy,  and  at  the 
same  time,  completely  attached  placenta  which  induces 
excessive  post-partum,  expulsive  acts. 

Aside  from  this  I  can  point  to  no  particular  direct 
cause  for  this  condition.  In  my  experience  most  of 
these  cases  show  eversion  with  the  placenta  firmly  at- 
tached ;  now  and  then  an  eversion  occurs  in  which  the 
after-birth  has  come  off.  I  can  recall  several  cases  to 
which  I  was  called  wherein  the  cow  was  straining  ab- 
normally, apparently  in  an  effort  to  expel  the  secun- 
dines,  which  I  am  positive  would  have  ultimately  ter- 
minated in  complete  eversion  of  the  uterus  if  their  re- 
moval had  not  been  promptly  accomplished  by  manual 


EVERSION  OF  THE  UTERUS  109 

extraction.  In  these  cases  eversion  had  already  start- 
ed ;  removal  of  the  after-birth  with  proper  flushing  and 
swabbing  immediately  put  an  end  to  the  trouble. 

The  mortality  in  eversion  of  the  uterus  is  governed 
by  two  chief  causes.  One  is  shock ;  the  other  infection. 
But  here  again  no  fixed  rule  can  be  considered.  Those 
of  us  who  have  seen  many  of  these  cases  can  recall 
deaths  with  the  best  of  care  and  recoveries  with  the 
most  outrageous  handling.  I  recall  one  instance  which 
was  somewhat  of  a  knocker  to  me  when  I  first  began 
practice.  A  farmer  had  a  case  of  eversion  of  the 
uterus  in  a  cow  shortly  before  I  located  for  practice. 
He  ''merely  put  it  back  in,"  hair,  chaff,  manure  and 
everything  else  with  it.  The  cow  recovered  without 
missing  a  feed.  Some  time  after  I  located  in  his  vicin^ 
ity  he  had  another  similar  case  and,  like  a  good  fellow, 
called  me.  I  spent  ten  or  fifteen  minutes  cleaning  up 
the  mass  with  every  antiseptic  precaution  and  delicacy 
before  replacing  it  and  gave  the  cow  every  care.  She 
died  in  two  or  three  days.  I  remember  a  number  of 
similar  incidents. 

However,  this  is  no  reason  why  we  should  allow^  our- 
selves to  ignore  scrupulous  cleanliness  in  treating 
these  cases.  I  merely  mention  it  to  show  that  recovery 
or  death  is  not  controlled  by  set  rules.  All  w^e  can 
reasonably  say  is  that  undoubtedly  death  was  due  to 
shock  if  the  death  occurred  a  relatively  short  time 
after  the  eversion  took  place,  say,  not  more  than  ten 
or  twelve  hours.  If  the  death  occurred  after  a  num- 
ber of  days  the  cows  no  doubt  succumbed  to  infection. 
To  attempt  to  prognosticate  this  cause  of  probable 
death  is  evidence  of  a  lack  of  experience  with  these 
cases. 

The  treatment  or  handling  of  a  case  of  this  kind  in 
a  tactful,  and  at  the  same  time,  successful  manner,  re- 


110  SPECIAL  CATTLE  THERAPY 

quires  the  exercise  of  much  good  judgment  on  the 
veterinarian's  part.  In  addition  to  this  good  judg- 
ment the  veterinarian  must  ''keep  cool."  Veterina- 
rians who  never  use  a  cuss-word  at  other  times  usually 
''cuss"  just  a  little  when  they  are  engaged  in  cori'ect- 
ing  an  eversion  of  the  uterus. 

My  plan  of  handling  these  cases  is  about  as  follows : 

I  start  with  a  hypodermic  injection  of  morphin  sul- 
phate, from 'four  to  six  grains.  I  have  a  twofold  pur- 
pose in  this  morphin  injection.  The  first  is  to  overcome 
sensibility  to  a  certain  extent ;  the  second  is  to  counter- 
act shock.  Morphin  is  now  considered  the  most  scien- 
tific remedy  for  combating  existing  shock. 

Having  given  the  morphin  injection  I  proceed  to 
remove  the  after-birth  if  it  is  still  attached.  When  this 
has  been  accomplished  an  attempt  is  made  to  cleanse 
the  organ  itself.  "When  I. say  "an  attempt  is  made" 
I  mean  that  I  do  not  go  to  extremes  in  this  part  of 
the  performance.  I  have  a  pail  full  of  antiseptic  solu- 
tion into  which  I  repeatedly  dip  the  hands,  slushing 
the  contents  wherever  any  foreign  matter  is  seen  on 
the  parts.  With  a  pail  full  of  solution  the  cleaning  can 
be  accomplished  thoroughly  enough  for  all  practical 
purposes.  A  clean  sheet  or  rubber  apron  is  placed 
under  the  uterus  to  keep  it  clean  after  the  washing  is 
completed. 

Up  to  this  point  in  the  proceedings  no  difficulties 
of  moment  are  encountered.     Now  they  begin. 

I  make  strenuous  efforts  to  get  the  cow  on  her  feet 
in  every  case  after  I  get  through  cleaning  up  the  uter- 
us, in  those  cases  in  which  she  is  lying  down.  If  she 
is  standing  up,  of  course,  one  is  that  much  ahead.  It 
is  not  always  possible  to  get  the  cow^  up,  but  it  pays  to 
make  considerable  effort  to  get  her  to  arise  because, 
if  one  succeeds  in  bringing  her  to  her  feet  the  reposi- 


EVERSION  OF  THE  UTERUS  111 

tion  of  the  mass  is  ni^dL'red  fully  fifty  per  cent  easier. 

During  the  time  that  the  cow  is  being  urged  to  get 
up,  and  when  she  is  in  the  act  of  getting  up,  the  uterus 
must  be  protected  from  again  becoming  soiled.  This 
is  best  done  by  wrapping  it  entirely  in  the  sheet  or 
rubber  apron.  When  the  standing  position  has  been 
attained  have  the  cow  moved  in  such  a  way  that  the 
fore-quarters  will  be  considerably  lower  than  the  hind. 
This  is  not  absolutely  essential,  but  it  helps  to  make 
the  replacement  easier. 

With  an  attendant  holding  the  tail  out  of  the  way 
and  another  man  supporting  the  mass  in  the  sheet  or 
apron,  the  veterinarian  begins  the  inversion  by  firmly 
grasping  around  the  portion  closest  to  the  vulva  with 
both  hands  and  forcing  it  firmly,  yet  not  roughly,  into 
the  vulva.  At  the  same  time  the  attendant  holding 
the  pendant  portion  of  the  mass  should  ''folio  y  up" 
with  it.  AVhen  the  veterinarian  has  the  portion  in  his 
grasp  forced  into  the  vulva  opening,  he  must  not  re- 
lease his  grip  at  once,  but  slowly,  with  a  sort  of  ''feed- 
ing in"  motion,  and  all  the  time  holding  in  place  by 
forward  pressure  what  he  has  already  replaced,  he 
grasps  again  with  both  hands.  Sometimes,  if  the  cow 
strains  severely,  only  one  hand  at  a  time  is  changed  for 
a  new  grasp.  This  is  repeatedly  gone  through  until 
enough  of  the  mass  has  been  pushed  in  so  that  the 
attendant  finds  he  has  nothing  left  to  hold.  The  veter- 
inarian now  places  the  doubled  fist  of  one  hand  in  the 
center  of  the  mass  still  outside  of  the  canal  and  by  ap- 
propriate pressure  completes  the  aversion,  following 
in  the  full  length  of  his  arm  and  straightening  out  the 
"kinks"  as  much  as  possible.  The  pushing,  during  the 
entire  process,  must  be  done  during  the  straining  in- 
tervals ;  that  is,  while  the  cow  is  in  the  act  of  straining 
the  veterinarian  holds  his  ground.     Then,  just  at  the 


112  SPECIAL  CATTLE  THERAPY 

moment  when  the  cow  relaxes  from  each  strain,  is  the 
time  to  accomplish  something. 

This  I  have  found  the  best  and  safest  method  for  in- 
verting an  everted  uterus.  I  have  tried  other  meth- 
ods, such  as  have  been  recommended  from  time  to 
time  by  various  writers,  but  find  this  the  best. 

If  one  fails  to  get  the  cow^  on  her  feet  he  is  com- 
pelled to  accomplish  his  object  in  a  very  awkward  and 
tiresome  position,  and  usually  to  complete  the  reposi- 
tion, must  lie  flat.  Besides,  the  resistance  to  inversion 
is  greater  in  the  recumbent  position.  In  the  stand- 
ing position  the  last  portion  of  the  mass  literally  falls 
into  place. 

In  some  cases  matters  are  expedited  considerably 
by  smearing  the  vulva  and  its  surroundings  thickly 
with  vaseline. 

When  inversion  has  been  accomplished  nothing  in 
the  line  of  a  retaining  appliance  is  necessary  if  the  cow 
is  standing  up  at  the  time.  Straining  after  reposition 
is  usually  due  to  ^' kinks,"  and  will  not  occur  if  the 
cow  is  standing  at  the  time  of  the  replacement.  If 
the  cow  is  down  at  the  time  of  replacement  it  is  a 
difficult  matter  to  properly  straighten  these  ''kinks" 
and  straining  usually  occurs. 

Even  in  the  latter  cases  I  use  no  retaining  appli- 
ances. I  make  ever  effort  to  get  the  cow  on  her  feet 
as  soon  as  the  organ  is  in  place  and  then  have  her 
placed  with  the  hindquarters  raised. 

Sutures  through  the  vulva,  rope  trusses  and  other 
appliances  have  little  value.  I  never  use  them.  AVhen 
a  cow  strains  after  I  have  replaced  the  mass  I  know 
that  there  is  still  a  portion  of  it  being  pinched  by  a 
partial  inversion.  If  it  cannot  be  reached  wdth  the 
hand  and  forced  into  normal  position  the  best  plan 
is  to  pump  the  cavity  full  of  warm  antiseptic  solution. 


STKANGUARY  FROM  CONCRETIONS       113 

The    straining    will    stop    as    soon    as    the    ''kinks" 
straighten  out. 

Tonics  are  to  be  given  as  after-treatment,  and  al- 
icays  a  prophylactic  dose  of  mixed  bacterius  to  fore- 
stall infection.  The  treatment  of  various  complica- 
tions or  sequelae  is  left  to  the  professional  judgment 
of  the  attending  veterinarian. 


STRANGUARY    FROM     CONCRETIONS    IN    THE 
SUB-URETHRAL  DIVERTICULUM 

This  is  a  condition  which  occurs  in  cows  of  mod- 
erate and  old  age  and  may  become  evident  in  some 
cases  within  a  month  or  two  after  a  difficult  parturi- 
tion. The  latter  form  is  probably  the  result  of  uterine 
discharges  or  debris,  such  as  hair,  being  forced  into 
the  diverticulum  during  the  difficult  labor  and  acting 
as  an  excitant  to  its  lining  membrane.  The  resulting 
catarrhal  excretions  collect  around  the  debris  as  a 
nucleus,  forming  sometimes  in  the  course  of  two 
months,  a  concrete  mass  of  the  size  of  a  hen  ^g^. 

In  other  instances  the  concretion  may  be  due  to 
the  collection  and  inspissation  of  catarrhal  discharges 
from  no  particular  cause. 

These  concretions  have  the  appearance  of  and  are  of 
nearly  the  consistency  of  coffee  grounds.  Here  and 
there  in  the  mass  can  be  seen  white  flakes  which  are 
somewhat  firmer  than  the  other  portions. 

The  elaboration  and  retention  of  concretions  in  the 
suburethral  diverticulum  produces  no  objective  symp- 
toms until  the  mass  has  attained  sufficient  dimension 
to  interfere  with  the  exit  of  urine  from  the  urethra. 
When  this  stage  has  been  reached  the  cow  does  not 
urinate  quite  as  freely  as  she  should;  she  requires  a 


114         .     SPECIAL  CATTLE  THERAPY 

little  more  time  than  usual  to  complete  the  act,  and 
instead  of  the  normal  gushing  flow  it  is  seen  that  the 
urine  comes  in  spurts,  an  ounce  or  two  at  a  time.  This 
may  go  on  for  several  weeks  without  attracting  much 
attention  from  the  owner,  and  without  increasing  in 
severity  to  any  great  extent. 

This  condition  persists  for  a  variable  period  depend- 
ing upon  the  rapidity  with  which  the  mass  is  growing 
in  size,  and  then  it  suddenly  assumes  an  alarming  char- 
acter. The  veterinarian  is  called  and  he  finds  a  case 
about  as  follows: 

The  cow  appears  in  acute  pain,  constantly  getting 
up  and  lying  down.  AVhen  up,  she  paws  and  kicks 
at  the  abdomen.  She  ignores  her  feed.  So  far  it 
looks  like  a  case  of  colic.  It  is  now  noticed  that  a 
very  thin  stream  of  urine  is  almost  constantly  escap- 
ing from  the  vulva.  Every  few  moments  the  cow  as- 
sumes the  position  for  micturition  but  the  stream  of 
urine  which  she  succeeds  in  ejecting  is  very  small. 
The  vulva  is  agape  and  appears  congested. 

As  the  symptoms  now  point  to  a  local  trouble  in 
the  vagina  the  veterinarian  makes  an  examination 
here.  The  hand  is  passed  in,  and  when  it  has  entered 
as  far  as  the  knuckles  the  finger  tips  come  in  contact 
with  what  at  first  is  taken  for  some  sort  of  a  cauli- 
flower growth.  It  seems  to  stick  straight  upwards 
and  backwards  and  is  movable.  While  the  fingers  are 
feeling  for  anatomical  land-marks  a  jet  of  urine  shoots 
up  from  behind  the  enlargement  and  the  diagnosis  is 
readily  made.  If  the  hand  is  passed  into  the  vaginal 
canal  somewhat  deeper  the  veterinarian  discovers  that 
the  bladder  is  filled  to  the  limit  of  its  capacity. 

The  treatment  consists  of  mechanical  removal  of 
the  concretions.  Usually  it  is  necessary  to  begin  the 
removal  with  a  blunt  curette.     After  a  good  start  has 


DOUGLASS'  POUCH  CYST  115 

been  made  with  the  curette  the  removal  can  be  com- 
pleted with  the  finger. 

Immediately  the  mass  has  been  removed  the  cow 
urinates  normally  and  begins  to  eat.  All  signs  of 
acute  pain  disappear  instantly,  although  the  cow  may 
strain  slightly  for  some  time.  A  few  small  doses  of 
fluid  extract  of  stramonium  suffice  to  overcome  the  lat- 
ter. Stramonium  seems  to  have  a  selective  action  on 
the  parts  responsible  for  symptoms  referable  to  ves- 
ical irritation. 

DOUGLASS'  POUCH  CYST 

Cyst  formation  in  the  loose  tissues  between  the 
rectum  and  vagina  is  a  pathological  condition  which 
occurs  chiefly  in  young  cows  and  heifers.  Unless  the 
veterinarian  is  a  close  observer  and  makes  it  a  rule  to 
include  a  rectal  examination  in  his  diagnostic  efforts, 
especially  in  cases  pointing  towards  bowel  trouble,  he 
frequently  fails  to  recognize  the  exact  manifestations 
of  this  condition.  A  superficial  system  of  diagnosis 
usually  confuses  the  symptoms  of  a  cyst  in  the  pouch 
of  Douglass  with  colic. 

A  cyst  in  this  region  may  attain  enormous  dimen- 
sions, containing  on  occasions  a  gallon  of  fluid.  No 
symptoms  are  produced,  however,  until  the  cyst  has 
assumed  such  size  that  it  mechanically  interferes  with 
defecation  or  micturition. 

When  this  stage  has  been  reached  the  veterinarian 
is  usually  called  in,  and  he  finds  the  animal  present- 
ing some  symptoms  of  an  ordinary  colic.  There  are 
some  points  of  differentiation,  however.  The  chief 
one  is  that  the  cow  keeps  her  tail  raised  almost  con- 
stantly, and  repeatedly  strains,  apparently  in  attempts 
at  defecation.     No  feces  are  passed,  however,  and  if 


116  SPECIAL  CATTLE  THERAPY 

the  case  is  of  long  standing  or  has  been  neglected, 
there  may  be  the  beginning  of  an  eversion  of  the  rec- 
tum. 

The  cow  is  considerably  distressed,  breathing  rapid- 
ly, and  sometimes  moaning  while  in  the  act  of  strain- 
ing. She  stands  up  and  lies  down  at  intervals,  and 
when  lying  down  she  usually  stretches  out,  flat  on  her 
side,  moaning  and  straining.  In  nearly  all  cases  there 
is  a  marked  degree  of  tympanites. 

The  diagnosis  can  be  made  only  from  examination 
per  rectum.  When  the  hand  is  passed  into  the  rec- 
tum it  will  not  enter  more  than  the  length  of  the  fin- 
gers, or,  at  most,  to  the  wrist.  The  floor  of  the  rectum 
is  pushed  up  in  the  form  of  a  smoothly  rounded  swell- 
ing so  that  it  is  in  contact  with  the  sacral  region.  The 
first  thought  which  this  arouses  in  the  surgeon's  mind 
is  of  a  fully  distended  urinary  bladder.  However, 
when  he  passes  the  catheter  and  withdraws  the  urine 
from  the  bladder,  he  discovers  that  the  swelling  in 
the  rectum  has  not  diminished  a  particle.  The  diag- 
nosis of  a  cyst  is  therefore  certain  and  the  treatment 
comes  up  for  consideration. 

The  treatment  of  these  cases  is  entirely  surgical  and 
is  confined  to  tapping  the  cyst,  allowing  the  coirtents 
to  escape.  In  most  cases  the  cyst  content  is  a  watery, 
yellowish,  odorless  fluid ;  if  it  were  not  free  from  odor 
it  might  pass  for  urine  as  far  as  appearance  goes. 

The  best  results  are  obtained  by  tapping  the  cyst 
through  the  floor  of  the  rectum.  A  trocar  and  canula 
and  a  piece  of  rubber  tubing  is  all  that  is  required. 
The  best  trocar  for  this  purpose  is  an  ordinary  horse 
trocar,  such  as  is  used  in  tapping  the  cecum.  The 
rubber  tubing  should  be  of  such  calibre  that  it  passes 
over  the  head  of  the  canula  easily. 

The   operation   is  best  performed  with  the   cow  in 


DOUGLASS'  POUCH  CYST  117 

the  standing  position,  with  a  rope  adjusted  above  both 
hocks  to  prevent  the  veterinarian  from  being  kicked 
when  the  trocar  is  thrust  into  the  cyst. 

After  having  copiously  anointed  the  anus  and  rec- 
tum with  a  lubricant,  such  as  vaseline  or  lard,  the 
trocar  and  canula  guarded  in  the  hand  is  passed  into 
the  rectum.  The  point  of  the  trocar  is  set  at  a  place 
about  one  inch  higher  than  the  normal  floor  of  the 
rectum,  directing  it  towards  the  cow's  sternum,  and 
plunging  it  into  the  cyst  with  one  thrust  to  the  depth 
of  tw^o  or  three  inches. 

The  trocar  is  drawn  out  of  the  canula  as  soon  as 
the  cow  has  ceased  struggling.  The  cyst  contents 
spurt  through  the  canula  immediately  and  into  the 
rectum  as  long  as  the  veterinarian  protects  the  mouth 
of  the  canula  with  his  hand.  When  he  withdraws  his 
hand  the  rectal  folds  either  envelop  the  mouth  of  the 
canula  and  shut  off  the  flow,  or  under  the  influence 
of  the  rectal  tenesmus  the  canula  is  pushed  too  far 
into  the  cyst.  To  obviate  this  w^e  slip  the  rubber  tub- 
ing over  the  end  of  the  canula  after  withdrawing  the 
trocar,  leaving  one  end  hanging  out  of  the  rectum. 

When  the  fluid  begins  to  run  out  more  slowly  pres- 
sure exerted  on  the  cyst,  with  one  hand  in  the  rectum 
and  the  other  in  the  vagina,  is  applied  with  success 
in  entirely  emptying  the  cyst.  The  canula  is  then  with- 
drawn with  a  quick  jerk. 

No  further  attention  need  be  given  the  case.  Relief 
is  instantaneous  and  lasting.  The  animal  begins  to 
eat  and  is  entirely  normal  at  once,  unless  the  case 
had  been  neglected ;  when  it  may  be  necessary  to  ad- 
minister a  laxative  to  overcome  constipation  which 
has  developed. 

In  our  experience  one  thorough  draining  is  all  that 
is  necessary;  the  cyst  does  not  become  distended  with 
fluid  a  second  time. 


118  SPECIAL  CATTLE  THERAPY 


PHYMOSIS 

Phymosis,  or  imprisonment  of  the  penis  in  the 
sheath,  occurs  in  bulls  as  a  distinct  clinical  phenom- 
enon. Aside  from  direct  injuries  there  are  probably 
two  chief  reasons  for  the  frequency  of  its  occurrence. 
One  is  the  fact  that  micturition  is  commonly  performed 
in  the  sheath  without  protruding  the  penis;  the  other 
is  the  superabundance  of  long,  heavy  hair  at  the  pre- 
putial orifice.  The  anatomical  proportionment  of 
loose,  flabby  tissue  around  the  prepuce  is  not  ample, 
allowing  but  little  space  for  infiltration  with  inflam- 
matory exudates  and  fluids.  Even  moderate  swelling 
in  the  prepuce  of  the  bull  markedly  diminishes  the 
size  of  the  opening  which  is  normally  not  very  large 
in  a  relative  sense.  The  presence  of  the  hairy  tuft 
which  surrounds  and  depends  from  the  orifice  favors 
the  retention  of  filth  and  the  development  of  infec- 
tions. 

Phymosis  makes  its  appearance,  usually,  in  a  rather 
rapid  manner.  A  firm,  rounded  swelling  is  seen  along 
the  sheath,  from  the  orifice  to  ten  or  twelve  inches 
posteriorly.  When  fully  developed  the  swelling  may 
involve  the  subcutaneous  tissues  in  front  of  the  sheath 
so  that  the  orifice  appears  to  lie  fiat  against  the  ab- 
domen. 

There  is  a  discharge  of  muco-purulent  matter  or 
even  of  thick  pus,  which  sticks  to  the  hair  around  the 
parts,  making,  before  long,  a  matted,  filthy  barrier  to 
drainage. 

If  the  swelling  is  of  sufficient  intensity  to  seriously 
interfere  Avith  micturition  the  bull  shows  mild  colicky 
pains  as  a  result  of  distention  of  the  urinary  bladder. 
If  the  condition  has  been  neglected  for  several  days 


PHYMOSIS  119 

the  pains  increase  in  severity,  the  respirations  are  hur- 
ried and  shallow,  the  temperature  rises  several  degrees 
and  the  animal  refuses  its  feed.  A  bull  suffering  from 
a  well  developed  phymosis  is  a  sorry  brute  to  look 
upon. 

The  treatment  of  phymosis  is  quite  satisfacory  and  a 
favorable  termination  is  the  rule. 

While  it  may  considerably  facilitate  the  handling 
of  the  parts  we  do  not  advise  that  the  animal  be  cast. 
It  is  not  possible  to  determine  the  extent  of  the  dis- 
tention of  the  urinary  bladder  and  there  may  be  danger 
of  rupturing  the  bladder  by  casting  the  animal.  At 
least,  the  first  treatment  should  be  given  in  the  stand- 
ing position.  When  the  condition  has  been  sufficiently 
relieved  to  permit  of  micturition  the  animal  can  be 
cast  for  subsequent  handling  if  conditions  exist  which 
require  it.  Usually,  however,  it  is  unnecessary  to  cast 
the  patient  if  the  manipulations  called  for  are  per- 
formed in  a  gentle  and  painstaking  manner. 

The  treatment  begins  with  cutting  away  the  hair 
in  the  region  of  the  preputial  orifice,  for  which  pur- 
pose an  ordinary  curved  scissors  answers  very  well. 
All  filth  and  adhering  discharges  are  then  to  be  thor- 
oughly removed  by  means  of  warm  antiseptic  washes. 
The  latter  must  not  be  too  active;  the  parts  are  nor- 
mally very  sensitive  and  this  state  of  sensitiveness  is 
all  the  more  marked  under  the  influence  of  the  patho- 
logical condition.  If  mercury  bichlorid  is  used,  a  1  to 
4000  solution  is  ample.  When  the  mouth  of  the  orifice 
and  its  immediate  surroundings  have  been  thus 
cleansed  the  interior  of  the  sheath  must  be  copiously 
irrigated  with  warm  antiseptic  solutions.  In  our  hands 
we  have  had  fine  results  from  solutions  of  potassium 
permanganate  here.  Half  a  dram  of  the  crystals  dis- 
solved in  a  quart  of  warm  water  makes  about  the  prop- 


120  SPECIAL  CATTLE  THERAPY 

er  strength  solution  to  begin  with.  As  the  acute  stage 
disappears  the  strength  can  be  gradually  increased, 
until  towards  the  end  of  the  treatment  a  dram  of  the 
crystals  can  be  used  to  a  quart  of  water. 

To  make  these  irrigations  effective  it  is  almost 
absolutely  necessary  to  use  a  fountain  syringe. 

It  may  be  difficult  in  some  cases  to  use  any  style 
of  syringe  successfully  unless  a  very  small  nozzle  is 
used.  The  opening  in  the  sheath  has  closed  to  such 
an  extent  that  a  thick  nozzle  will  not  permit  the  re- 
turn flow  of  the  fluid.  Several  quarts  of  antiseptic 
solution  should  be  used  at  each  irrigation  and  the 
irrigations  are  to  be  repeated  at  least  three  times 
daily.  If  the  proper  strength  antiseptic  is  used  and 
the  irrigations  are  thoroughly  carried  out,  marked  im- 
provement is  evident  after  two  or  three  applications. 
If  the  treatment  is  persisted  .in  conscientiously,  with 
appropriate  internal  treatment,  for  three  or  four  days, 
the  irrigations  are  only  necessary  once  or  twice  daily 
for  another  two  or  three  days  thereafter,  when  the 
case  can  usually  be  considered  cured.  Even  very 
severe  cases  of  phymosis  can  be  carried  to  a  suc- 
cessful termination  in  from  a  week  to  ten  days. 

We  have  never  found  it  necessary  to  make  sur- 
gical incisions  for  drainage,  nor  to  enlarge  the  orifice 
so  as  to  permit  the  use  of  larger  syringe  nozzles. 
Gentle,  patient  manipulations  usually  suffice  to  ac- 
complish the  desired  end. 

For  the  internal  treatment  we  can  highly  recom- 
mend doses  of  phenyl  salicylate  half  a  dram  to  a  dram, 
with  fluid  extract  of  belladonna  half  a  dram  and  fluid 
extract  saw  palmetto  half  an  ounce.  Three  such  doses 
are  given  daily  for  two  or  three  days  and  once  or 
twice  daily  thereafter,  until  the  case  is  discharged. 

If  the  case  should  come  into  the  veterinarian's  hands 


ACUTE,  SIMPLE  AGALACTIA  121 

in  a  precarious  condition  from  retention  of  the  urine, 
so  that  danger  of  losing  the  animal's  life  were  immi- 
nent, we  would  recommend  tapping  the  bladder 
through  the  rectum  as  the  first  procedure. 


ACUTE,  SIMPLE  AGALACTIA 

In  dairy  cows  a  condition  frequently  occurs  which 
can  only  be  described  as  an  acute,  simple  agalactia. 

This  trouble  is  usually  sporadic  in  nature,  affecting 
a  single  cow  now  and  then  without  any  apparent 
cause. 

The  history  in  these  caess  is  nearly  always  the  same. 
A  cow  that  is  otherwise  a  good  milker  suddenly  gives 
only  about  half  the  usual  quantity  and  at  the  very 
next  milking  is  almost  completely  dry.  In  every  other 
respect  the  animal  appears  normal;  eats  well,  drinks, 
appears  bright  and  well.  Quite  careful  examination 
on  the  part  of  the  attending  veterinarian  fails  to  de- 
tect any  abnormality  of  value  from  a  diagnostic  stand- 
point. 

It  is  usual  to  suspect  something  wrong  with  the  feed, 
but  this  suspicion  is  discarded  because  all  the  other 
cows  in  the  herd  are  getting  the  same  feed  and  are 
not  affected. 

Apparently  this  is  a  condition  induced  by  trophic 
nerve  disturbance  of  an  obscure  character.  It  is  al- 
ways a  purely  functional  disease;  no  inflammatory  or 
congestive  signs  occur  in  the  udder  which  can  be  de- 
termined clinically.  The  one  and  only  symptom  is 
the  absence  of  lacteal  fluid. 

The  treatment  of  this  condition  is  based  wholly  on 
this  aspect  of  the  pathology  of  the  disease — namely: 
that  it  is  a   purely   functional   abnormality,   and   the 


122  SPECIAL  CATTLE  THERAPY 

treatment  is  very  successful.  It  is  quite  important 
that  the  case  be  taken  in  hand  promptly  because,  to  a 
great  extent,  the  degree  of  functionating  which  again 
develops  as  a  result  of  the  treatment  depends  upon 
the  length  of  time  that  the  glands  have  been  idle.  A 
case  of  this  kind  properly  treated  within  a  day  or 
two  after  the  milk  secretion  stops  will  usually  come 
up  to  the  normal  output  of  milk  again. 

The  treatment  consists  wholly  of  the  administration 
of  two  well  known  alkaloids,  pilocarpin  and  strychnin. 

Four  grains  of  pilocarpin  hydro-chlorid  and  two  and 
a  half  grains  of  strychnin  sulphate  are  dissolved  in 
a  pint  of  water.  This  is  divided  into  three  doses, 
one  to  be  given  orally  every  three  hours. 

Nothing  further  is  required  and  usually  the  glands 
resume  their  function  promptly.  Changed  feed  or 
special  feed  does  not  seem  to  hasten  recovery  in  these 
cases.  The  fact  that  such  feeds  which  are  in  ordinary 
cases  more  or  less  of  a  galactogogue  have  no  effect  in 
this  disease  is  further  evidence  that  we  are  dealing 
here  with  a  trophic  nerve  disturbance  more  than  any- 
thing else. 


MASTITIS— MAMMITIS  123 


MASTITIS— MAMMITIS 

These  terms  are  applied  indiscriminately  to  acute 
inflammatory  conditions  attacking  tlie  mammary 
giand. 

Mastitis  or  mammitis  is  serious  because  of  its  eco- 
nomic import  in  dairy  cattle  and  the  veterinarian's 
efforts  in  treating  this  disease  are  concerned  chiefly 
with  conserving  the  function  of  the  gland.  Almost 
without  exception,  even  with  approved  treatment  and 
most  careful  handling^  spyere  attacks  of  mastitis  ulti- 
mately impair  the  function  of  the  gland  involved. 

For  the  purpose  of  this  discussion  we  shall  ignore 
the  various  forms  of  mastitis  which  are  looked  upon 
as  specific  in  character,  such  as  infectious  mastitis, 
tubercular  mastitis,  and  so  on.  We  shall  concern  our- 
selves solely  with  what  we  would  term  sporadic  mas- 
titis, that  form  which  is  always  seen  in  isolated  in- 
stances in  cows  which  are  being  heavily  fed  for  milk 
production.  Sporadic  mastitis  makes  its  appearance 
most  frequently  in  heavy  milkers  and  is  probably  most 
common  in  the  first  two  months  after   calving. 

Most  cases  begin  with  a  chill  which,  after  variable 
periods  of  time,  terminates  in  rigors  confined  to  the 
posterior  part  of  the  body..  The  cow  refuses  all  feed 
and  appears  generally  indisposed.  There  is  usually 
constipation  and  the  temperature  is  but  one  or  two 
degrees  above  normal.  (This  is  a  good  clinical  point 
of  differentiation  between  sporadic  and  infectious 
forms  of  mastitis — namely:  that  in  sporadic  mastitis 
the  temperature  is  raised  only  a  trifle ;  in  infectious 
forms  fever  runs  high.)  In  nearly  all  cases  there  is 
some  stiffness  in  one  hind  leg  which  could  almost  be 
called  a  lameness.     In  the  early  stages  the  local  signs 


124  SPECIAL  CATTLE  THERAPY 

of  inflammation  are  usually  confined  to  one  quarter 
of  the  udder;  later  both  quarters  on  one  side,  or  both 
front  or  rear  quarters,  may  be  involved.  In  rare 
cases  the  entire  udder  is  involved. 

In  sporadic  mastitis  the  part  involved  is  the  seat  of 
a  uniform,  firm  swelling  which  is  very  painful  under 
manipulation.  There  is  considerable  local  heat  and 
the  skin  over  the  quarters  involved  appears  much  red- 
dened and  tense.  The  lacteal  secretion  is  diminished; 
in  some  cases  it  is  almost  completely  suspended.  When 
the  veterinarian  strips  the  teat  on  the  affected  quar- 
ter to  ascertain  the  character  of  the  secretion,  he  finds 
that  the  first  spurt  or  two  has  the  appearance  of 
water  into  w^hich  a  drop  or  two  of  fluid  extract  of 
nux  vomica  has  been  dissolved.  Following  this  the  fluid 
that  is  stripped  out  has  more  the  appearance  of  milk, 
but  it  contains  clots  and  flakes.  Cows  that  are  other- 
wise gentle  and  kind  milkers  will  resist  handling  of 
the  parts  affected. 

If  the  condition  is  not  promptly  and  judiciously 
treated,  pus  formation  and  abscesses  may  supervene. 

Before  taking  up  the  treatment  of  mastitis  we  would 
like  to  impress  upon  the  reader  our  understanding  of 
the  term  ''infectious  mastitis."  By  infectious  mas- 
titis we  understand  that  form  of  this  disease  which  is 
more  or  less  readily  communicated  to  other  cows.  We 
make  this  point  clear  so  that  the  reader  may  not  get 
the  impression  that  we  consider  sporadic  mastitis  idio- 
pathic. Sporadic  mastitis  is  usually  due  to  infection 
with  micro-organisms  of  the  pus-producing  group,  but 
it  is  not  infectious  in  the  sense  of  transmissibility  or 
contagion. 

The  treatment  of  sporadic  mastitis  at  the  present 
time  includes  a  great  variety  of  remedial  procedures. 
It  can  safely  be  said  that  there  is  at  the  present  time 


MASTITIS— MAMMITIS  125 

no  generally  practiced  or  accepted  method  of  treat- 
ment. Nearly  every  veterinarian  has  his  own  ideas 
and  method  of  treating  this  condition.  In  our  own 
practice  we  have  had  recourse  to  a  considerable  num- 
ber of  therapeutic  measures  such  as  have  been  recom- 
mended from  time  to  time,  and  we  confess  that  we 
have  not  been  very  successful  in  treating  mastitis  with 
any  of  them.  Neither  have  we  been  able  to  work- 
out a  uniformly  successful  treatment  of  our  own. 
While  we  are  able  to  obtain  moderately  satisfactory 
results  in  most  cases,  we  can  not  say  that  w^e  have  a 
treatment  for  this  disease  which  is  equal  to  the  de- 
mands made  upon  it  by  the  condition.  We  mean  by 
this  that  we  are  not  quite  sure  of  our  success  in  pre- 
venting interference  with  the  function  of  the  gland. 
It  is  by  this  success — namely:  that  the  cow  may  be  as 
good  a  milk  producer  after  the  attack  as  before — that 
the  real  value  of  treatment  is  measured. 

As  we  said  in  beginning,  mastitis  is  important  from 
an  economic  standpoint  chiefly  because  it  has  a  tend- 
ency to  permanently  interfere  with  the  output  of  milk. 
It  is  not  an  exceptionally  difficult  matter  to  subdue 
the  acute  manifestations  of  the  disease;  but  it  is  a 
very  difficult  matter  to  so  conduct  the  treatment  that 
the  gland  may  escape  permanent  impairment  of  func- 
tion. 

The  method  of  treatment  which  has  given  us  the 
best  results  begins  with  a  cathartic  dose  of  arecolin 
or  eserin.  The  earlier  in  the  attack  this  cathartic  is 
given  the  more  gratifying  the  results. 

Following  on  this,  hot  fomentations  are  ordered  ap- 
plied to  the  affected  gland,  at  least  fifteen  minutes 
out  of  every  hour,  for  twelve  or  fifteen  hours.  The 
affected  quarter  is  to  be  gently  milked  out  each  time 
before  applying  the  hot  water.    Also,  during  the  same 


126  SPECIAL  CATTLE  THERAPY 

period,  we  order  that  a  dose  be  given  every  two  hours 
consisting  of  a  half  ounce  of  sodium  bicarbonate  and 
of  fluid  extract  taraxacum  and  of  rhubarb,  each  an 
ounce. 

At  the  end  of  this  twelve  or  fifteen  hour  period 
the  cow  is  usually  quite  comfortable  and  the  acute 
manifestations  of  the  disease  are  well  under  control. 

With  this,  as  with  all  other  treatments  which  we 
have  used,  the  case  has  now  assumed  a  sort  of  mediocre 
or  sub-acute  status.  While  the  animal  is  free  from 
pain,  eats  well  and  is  apparently  on  the  road  to  a 
rapid  recovery,  we  find  that  from  now  on  progress  is 
slow.  In  this  stage  we  use  an  ointment  of  Phytolacca 
locally  and  potassium  iodid  internally,  continuing  both 
for  a  week  at  least.  It  is  not  rare  to  meet  with 
cases  of  this  disease  which  are  exceptionally  stubborn 
towards  recovery  and  the  veterinarian's  skill  as  a 
physician  is  taxed  to  the  limit  before  he  succeeds  in 
conquering  them.  In  such  cases  polyvalent  bacterins 
frequently  do  much  good. 

The  cow  should  be  on  half  rations  during  the  en- 
tire treatment. 


ATRESIA  OF  THE  LACTEAL  DUCT   127 


ATRESIA  OF  THE  LACTEAL  DUCT 

Atresia  of  the  lacteal  duct  is  commonly  termed  teat 
stricture.  The  occlusion  is  usually  a  partial  one, 
rarely  complete.  The  seat  of  stricture  or  closure  may 
be  at  the  teat  orifice,  along  the  course  of  the  duct,  or 
at  the  proximal  end  of  the  duct  where  it  emerges  from 
the  sinus  lactiferus. 

When  the  stricture  is  located  at  the  apex,  or  near 
the  distal  end,  the  milk  enters  the  teat  quite  readily 
but  difficulty  is  experienced  in  squeezing  it  out;  the 
stream  is  very  thin,  or  it  squirts  in  several  directions. 

When  the  stricture  is  farther  up,  or  at  the  proximal 
end,  difficulty  is  experienced  in  getting  the  milk  to  fill 
up  the  teat;  after  the  teat  is  filled  it  is  ejected  easily. 

In  rare  cases,  which  may  occur  in  heifers,  there  is 
a  true  atresia  or  closure  of  the  duct  orifice  in  the  end 
of  the  teat.  There  is  only  a  slight  pit  or  depression 
in  the  epithelium,  at  the  point  where  the  duct  nor- 
mally emerges,  but  the  epithelium  is  not  perforated. 

With  two  exceptions,  strictures  of  the  teat  have  an 
unfavorable  prognosis.  One  exception  is  that  form 
occurring  at  the  very  extremity  or  external  orifice  of 
the  duct;  the  other  exception  is  that  form  appearing 
as  a  true  atresia  in  heifers. 

In  the  various  forms  involving  the  duct  higher  up 
and  at  its  proximal  end  the  treatment  is  not  very 
well  understood  nor  accompanied  by  satisfactory  re- 
sults. Of  course,  there  are  cases  of  the  latter  variety 
occasionally  which  have  a  satisfactory  termination, 
but  they  are  rare.  The  treatment  which  is  in  vogue 
for  these  conditions  (and  to  all  appearances  as  good 
as  we  can  do)  is  fraught  with  danger  from  the  stand- 


128  SPECIAL  CATTLE  THERAPY 

point  of  sequelifi,  of  wliicli  mastitis  is  the  most  im- 
portant. 

The  vai".'  us  operations  which  have  been  recom- 
mended and  quite  thoroughl}^  tried  out,  as  well  as  the 
different  typ^s  of  bistuories  and  dilators,  have  not 
proven  of  much  value  in  general  practice.  It  is  al- 
most an  absolute,  necessity  to  have  hospital  facilities 
for  the  proper  and  conscientious  performance  of  the 
measures  required  to  correct  a  high  stricture  in  the 
lacteal  duct.  It  is  decidedly  humiliating  for  the  vet- 
erinarian in  general  practice  to  see  a  severe  mastitis 
succeeding  manipulations  for  the  correction  of  a  con- 
dition which,  to  the  farmer,  seems  a  trivial  matter. 

In  our  practice  we  refuse  to  treat  a  high  stricture 
of  the  teat  until  we  have  clearly  explained  to  the  owner 
what  the  chances  are.  We  make  it  clear  to  him  that 
rarely  is  any  form  of  interference  attended  with  re- 
sults which  are  so  satisfactory  as  to  warrant  the  at- 
tempt; that  in  many  instances  a  severe  mastitis,  which 
will  probably  destroy  the  quarter,  Avill  supervene.  If, 
after  this  warning,  he  is  still  willing  to  submit  the  cow 
to  treatment,  we  attempt  dilatation,  and  in  some  cases 
incision  of  the  stricture.  AVe  have  not  enough  faith  in 
any  procedure  for  the  correction  of  this  condition, 
with  which  we  are  familiar,  to  give  it  space  here. 

In  those  cases  which  involve  the  apex  or  distal  end 
of  the  duct  we  can  obtain  good  results  with  fair  regu- 
larity. "We  have  met  with  two  forms  of  the  condition 
in  this  part  of  the  duct.  One  form  is  a  true  stricture 
or  narrowing  of  the  lumen  of  the  duct,  probably  as  the 
result  of  infectious  or  other  inflammatory  processes. 
In  this  form  we  are  able  to  obtain  good  results  from 
dilatation.  It  is  not  very  important  how  this  dilata- 
tion is  accomplished,  so  that  it  is  done  aseptically  and 
bloodlessly.     We  use  an  ordinary  teat  dilator,  repeat- 


ATRESIA  OF  THE  LACTEAL  DUCT        129 

ing"  the  stretching  every  few  days.  The  best  method  is 
to  dilate  and  allow  the  duct  to  collapse  repeatedly, 
from  six  to  ten  times  at  each  treatment.  Insert  the 
dilator,  expand  it  as  far  as  indicated,  and  then  hold 
it  there  for  one  or  two  minutes ;  take  it  out,  wait  a 
couple  of  minutes,  and  repeat.  Do  this  from  six  to 
eight  times  at  each  sitting,  and  in  a  few  days  again. 
Three  to  five  of  these  courses  of  stretching  accomplish 
the  desired  result. 

The  other  form  which  we  can  also  treat  successfully 
is  a  narrowing  of  the  orifice  of  the  duct  from  collec- 
tions of  evaporated  mucus  or  similar  concretions. 
These  collect  just  inside  the  edge  of  the  orifice  and  are 
of  the  consistency  of  dry  putty.  When  an  instrument 
is  passed  over  them,  a  faint,  scraping  sound  can  be 
detected. 

They  are  to  be  very  gently  removed  with  a  small 
eye  curette  or  an  ear  spoon,  and  the  parts  are  then  to 
be  given  an  application  of  glycerin  by  means  of  a 
cotton  swab. 

Cases  of  true  atresia  of  the  distal  end  of  the  lacteal 
duct  which  occur  occasionally  in  heifers  can  also  be 
treated  with  very  satisfactory  results.  The  duct  is  per- 
fect except  for  the  appearance  of  the  orifice  through 
the  skin. 

When  the  teat  has  been  thoroughly  cleansed,  the 
pointed  stilet  of  an  exploring  trocar  is  used  to  punc- 
ture the  skin.  This  puncture  is  made  exactly  in  the 
center  of  the  pit,  which  is  always  present,  and  just 
deep  enough  so  that  the  point  penetrates  the  skin. 
With  slight  pressure,  but  not  enough  to  cause  the  stilet 
to  enter  deeper,  it  is  turned  from  right  to  left,  and 
from  left  to  right  a  few  times.  It  is  then  withdrawn 
and  laid  aside.  A  small  sharp  curette  is  now  used 
to  enlarge  the  opening  until  it  is  of  such  size  that  a 


130  SPECIAL  CATTLE  THERAPY 

« 

milk  tube  will  readily  pass  through  it  into  the  duct. 
A  little  pressure  may  at  first  be  necessary  to  enter 
the  point  of  the  tube  in  the  duct. 

A  small  strip  of  gauze  saturated  with  glj^cerin  is 
then  forced  a  short  distance  into  the  duct  and  allowed 
to  remain,  with  an  inch  or  so  protruding.  This  strip 
of  gauze  is  removed  after  twenty-four  hours  and  the 
heifer  milked  regularly. 

The  restraint  for  this  operation  is  always  to  be  in 
the  recumbent  position.  If  the  operation  is  deftly  per- 
formed it  is  practically  bloodless. 

In  heifers  this  operation  should  be  performed  just 
before  or  immediately  after  calving. 

We  would  call  the  veterinarian's  attention  again, 
before  closing  the  discussion,  to  what  has  been  said, 
about  high  strictures  of  the  teat.  Our  experience  is 
that  the  veterinarian  can  serve  his  client  best  in  most 
of  those  cases  by  advising  that  the  condition  be  left 
alone,  letting  that  particular  quarter  go  dry. 


LACTEAL  FISTULA  131 


LACTEAL    FISTULA 

Lacteal  fistula  appears  in  various  locations  on  teats 
and  udder.  The  most  common  seat  of  a  lacteal  fistula 
is  on  the  teat  over  the  course  of  the  lacteal  duct. 

Most  lacteal  fistulas  are  of  traumatic  origin;  occa- 
sionally abscess  formation  in  mastitis  may  leave  a  per- 
manent opening  in  the  udder  through  which  milk  es- 
capes. 

Li  rare  cases  rudimentary  teats  near  the  base  of  a 
teat  may  develop  a  permanent  opening,  allowing  a 
constant  dripping  of  milk.  Some  cases  have  occurred 
in  our  practice  which  resulted  from  cutting  off  rudi- 
mentary teats.  The  animals  w^ere  pure-bred  cows  and 
the  owner  feared  that  the  rudimentary  teats  would 
detract  from  their  showing  qualities.  He  snipped  off 
the  rudimentary  teats  with  scissors.  Evidently  the 
teats  contained  a  lacteal  duct,  which  continued  to  drip 
milk  constantly,  after  being  cut  through. 

A  lacteal  fistula  is  difficult  to  heal  when  chronic,  es- 
pecially while  the  gland  is  active.  The  proper  time  to 
undertake  the  cure  of  a  lacteal  fistula  which  has  been 
in  existence  for  a  month  or  longer  is  when  the  cow 
"goes  dry."  While  it  is  possible  to  obtain  good  re- 
sults while  the  cow  is  being  milked,  no  certain  prom- 
ises of  a  favorable  outcome  should  be  made. 

In  cases  which  are  of  less  than  one  month's  standing, 
good  results  can  be  obtained  at  any  time.  The  treat- 
ment which  we  recommend  is  the  same  for  recent 
and  for  chronic  cases — the  only  point  differentiating 
one  from  the  other  being  the  time  when  the  treatment 
is  used — namely:  in  chronic  cases  only  during  the  in- 
terval between  lactation  periods;  in  recent  cases,  at 
any  time.     To  apply  the  treatment  properly  the  cow 


132  SPECIAL  CATTLE  THERAPY 

should  be  cast,  unless  she  happens  to  be  a  very  gentle 
one. 

The  affected  teat  is  to  be  washed  thoroughly  with 
soap  and  warm  water  and  then  dried  and  a  local  anes- 
thetic used.  A  milk  tube,  of  the  self-retaining  variety, 
and  of  sufficient  length  to  reach  the  whole  length  of 
the  teat,  is  then  inserted.  With  a  small,  sharp  curette 
the  Avails  and  edges  of  the  fistulous  opening  are  now 
thoroughly  scarified,  and  any  indurated  tissues  on  the 
surface  edges  are  removed.  When  this  has  been  thor- 
oughly accomplished  all  hemorrhage,  which  is  some- 
times considerable,  must  be  controlled  by  pressure  and 
wiping,  before  the  next  step  is  taken. 

When  the  hemorrhage  has  ceased,  at  least  so  far 
that  it  amounts  to  only  a  slight  oozing,  the  wound  is 
given  a  light  application  of  tincture  of  iodin  with  a 
cotton  swab  and  applicator. 

The  last  step  consists  of  snugly  wrapping  the  entire 
teat  with  layer  after  layer  of  gauze  strip,  interposing 
between  each  a  coating  of  pine  tar.  A  two-inch  gauze 
bandage  is  about  right. 

We  first  apply  a  coat  of  pine  tar  directly  on  the 
teat  around  its  entire  surface  from  top  to  bottom.  We 
then  begin  bandaging  on  top  of  this,  and,  as  the  band- 
age is  applied,  we  apply  a  coat  of  the  tar  after  each 
lap,  until  about  seven* or  eight  layers  of  both  tar  and 
bandage  have  been  applied.  The  bandage  must  be 
drawn  just  ''good  and  snug,"  not  too  tight  nor  too 
loose.  The  milk  tube  is  j^et  in  the  duct  and  allow- 
ance must  be  made  for  it — namely:  that  the  bandage 
will  be  ''just  snug"  Avhen  the  tube  is  pulled  out  of  the 
teat.  When  seven  or  eight  turns  of  the  gauze  bandage 
have  been  applied,  it  is  tied,  or  sewed,  to  the  last  turn. 
Another  layer  of  tar  is  then  applied  over  all. 


LACTEAL  FISTULA  133 

The  milk  tube  is  now  removed  and  the  cow  allowed 
to  get  up. 

In  recent  cases  this  bandage  may  be  removed  at  the 
end  of  ten  days  or  two  weeks,  when  the  fistula  is 
usually  entirely  healed.  In  chronic  cases  three  to  four 
weeks  should  elapse  before  removing  the  bandage. 
The  removal  of  the  bandage  is  facilitated  by  first  satu- 
rating with  alcohol,  after  which  it  may  be  unwound 
gently.  If  the  layer  in  contact  with  the  teat  sticks 
tenaciously  it  should  merely  be  saturated  with  alcohol 
and  then  allowed  to  drop  off  of  its  own  accord,  a  thing 
it  will  do  after  a  few  days. 

The  above  is  not  an  ideal  or  very  scientific  perform- 
ance, but  "it  works"  every  time  if  the  bandaging  is 
correctly  done. 

In  our  hands,  classical  surgical  procedures  have  been 
failures  in  this  condition. 

Lacteal  fistulas  resulting  from  meddling  with  a  rudi- 
mentary teat  or  from  a  rudimentary  teat  which  has 
begun  to  leak  can  only  be  cured  by  direct  surgical 
interference. 

In  such  cases  the  cow  is  cast,  and  the  region  of  the 
fistula  is  thoroughly  cleansed  with  soap  and  warm 
water,  and  rinsed  with  antiseptic  solutions.  The 
mouth  of  the  opening  or  fistula  is  then  swabbed  thor- 
oughly dry  with  cotton  and  a  local  anesthetic  injected. 
The  rudimentary  duct  is  now  grasped  on  one  side  of 
its  edge  with  rat-tooth  forceps  and  dissected  loose  from 
the  wall  of  the  teat  or  udder.  A  new  hold  is  repeat- 
edly taken  with  the  forceps,  around  the  entire  circum- 
ference of  the  duct,  and  the  duct  dissected  inward  to 
a  distance  of  at  least  half  an  inch.  Great  care  must  be 
taken  not  to  prick  through  the  duct  with  the  point  or 
edge  of  the  knife. 


134  SPECIAL  CATTLE  THERAPY 

When  the  duct  is  dissected  free  from  its  surround- 
ing's to  the  depth  of  half  an  inch,  a  catgut  ligature  is 
applied  around  it,  close  to  the  proximal  end.  Just  be- 
fore the  ligature  is  tied,  the  duct  is  swabbed  with  tur- 
pentine, the  latter  for  the  purpose  of  setting  up  an  irri- 
tation to  hasten  the  formation  of  adhesions.  The  ex- 
ternal 'wound  is  treated  as  an  injury  and  heals 
promptly. 

Unless  the  operator  has  been  unclean  in  this  opera- 
tion the  results  will  be  all  that  can  be  expected. 

The  ligature  requires  no  attention,  and  all  trace  of 
the  fistulous  opening  gradually  disappears.  The  tur- 
pentine swab  must  not  be  forced  into  the  duct  too  far, 
as  in  that  event  it  may  do  harm  in  the  glandular  por- 
tion. Some  rudimentary  teats  appear  to  obtain  their 
duet  directly  from  the  acini  instead  of  from  the  sinus 
lactiferus. 


VARIOLA  135 


VARIOLA  (Cow  Pox) 

This  disease,  in  cattle,  runs  a  mild  course  in  nearly 
every  instance  and,  in  this  country,  may  be  looked 
upon  as  being  confined  almost  wholly  to  the  udder. 
Now  and  then  a  case  occurs  in  which  the  animal  shows 
slight  systemic  derangement. 

The  disease  affects  sometimes  only  a  few  animals  in 
a  herd;  at  other  times  none  escape  the  infection.  This 
feature  is  probably  influenced  to  a  great  extent  by  the 
sanitary  or  insanitary  methods  of  milking  in  vogue  on 
different  farms. 

The  first  symptom  is  soreness,  or  tenderness,  evinced 
when  the  cow  is  milked.  The  teat  or  teats  feel  hot 
and  slightly  swollen.  Soon  after  this,  nodules  develop 
on  the  teats  and  on  the  udder  of  about  the  size  of  peas, 
usually.  In  a  day  or  two  these  become  vesicles  of  a 
bluish  or  purplish  color.  The  vesicles  break  down, 
leaving  under  them  the  characteristic  pox  ''pit,"  show- 
ing granulations.  The  tissues  immediately  around  the 
pit  are  injected  and  tender.  Soon  the  pit  becomes 
covered  with  a  scab,  which  drops  off  in  four  or  five 
days,  and  the  disease  has  run  its  course. 

If  the  milking  is  not  done  in  a  cleanly  and  gentle 
manner  while  the  pit  is  yet  uncovered,  extensive  ulcers 
sometimes  form. 

The  vesicles  do  not  all  appear  at  the  same  time  and 
several  Aveeks  may  elapse  before  any  one  cow  is  en- 
tirely free  from  lesions.  The  infection  frequently  is 
contracted  by  the  persons  doing  the  milking.  Pim- 
ples, which  break  down  and  end  in  scab  formation, 
appear  on  the  hands  and  wrists.  They  heal  kindly  and 
usually  cause  no  other  trouble. 


136  SPECIAL  CATTLE  THERAPY 

The  most  important  point  as  regards  the  treatment 
of  variola  in  cows  is  the  observation  of  cleanliness  and 
g-entle  manipulation  of  the  teat  in  milking.  If  the 
teat  contains  a  great  number  of  vesicles  a  milking 
tube  should  be  used. 

Scab  formation  can  be  hastened  by  touching  the  pits 
with  a  saturated  solution  of  potassium  permanganate. 
If  extensive  ulceration  occurs,  the  parts  are  to  be 
painted  after  each  milking  with  a  mixture  of  one  part 
tincture  iodin  and  three  parts  tincture  benzoin  com- 
pound. The  number  of  cases  in  an  outbreak  can  often 
be  limited  if  cows  affected  are  milked  last,  thus  avoid- 
ing direct  transmission  of  the  disease. 


CHAPPED  OR  CRACKED  TEATS  137 


CHAPPED  OR  CRACKED  TEATS 

This  condition  varies  from  slight  degrees  of  ery- 
thema to  extensive  involvement  of  the  sub-dermal 
tissues. 

When  the  condition  has  been  allowed  to  become 
chronic  so  that  the  teat  is  the  seat  of  deep  cracks  or 
fissures  it  may  prove  quite  resistant  to  treatment.  The 
repeated  stretching  and  other  manipulations  to  which 
the  teat  is  subjected  during  the  process  of  milking 
greatly  hinders  the  healing  process. 

When  the  condition  is  confined  to  the  superficial  skin 
good  results  can  be  obtained  from  compound  tincture 
of  benzoin  applied  with  a  camel's-hair  brush  after  milk- 
ing. Three  or  four  days  of  such  treatment  effects  a 
cure.  In  those  cases  which  are  of  long  standing  and 
in  which  cracks  and  fissures  of  considerable  depth  are 
present,  we  have  obtained  the  best  results  from  solu- 
tions of  chinosol  in  1  to  1000  strength.  After  each 
milking  a  cup  or  a  tumbler  is  filled  with  the  solution 
into  which  the  affected  teat  is  plunged,  holding  the  cup 
or  the  tumbler  so  that  its  rim  rests  against  the  udder. 
At  least  five  minutes  should  be  consumed  in  the  bath 
in  this  manner,  after  each  milking. 

In  many  quite  severe  chronic  cases  three  or  four  of 
these  baths  or  soakings  produce  a  marked  improve- 
ment and  a  week  of  such  treatment  usually  suffices 
to  bring  complete  healing.  In  exceptionally  severe 
cases  it  may  help  to  hasten  matters  if  the  cracks  are 
first  lightly  cauterized  witli  a  mild  solution  of  silver 
nitrate. 

In  occasional  cases,  those  usually  termed  ''sore" 
teats,   the   lesions   are   arranged   in   patches,   some   of 


138  SPECIAL  CATTLE  THERAPY 

them  running  almost  entirely  around  the  teat.  In 
these  cases  there  is  a  tendency  toward  scab  forma- 
tion and,  occasionally,  ulceration.  In  this  form  we 
begin  the  treatment  with  an  application  of  one  part 
tincture  benzoin  compound  in  three  parts  glycerin, 
applying  it  frequently  during  the  day  with  a  soft 
brush.  The  glycerin  softens  and  dissolves  the  scabs, 
and  leaves  a  healthy  looking  sore.  The  treatment  is 
then  terminated  with  the  chinosol  baths. 

In  very  obstinate  or  severe  cases  of  chapped,  cracked 
or  sore  teats,  it  may  be  impossible  to  effect  a  cure 
unless  a  milk  tube  is  used  in  place  of  milking  by 
hand. 


PNEUMONIA  139 


PNEUMONIA 

For  this  disease  in  cattle  we  would  prefer  the  word 
pneumonitis,  because  from  the  standpoint  of  treatment 
the  word  pneumonitis  is  specific.  The  veterinarian  in 
daily  practice  who  comes  actually  in  contact  with  this 
disease  in  cattle  does  not  pay  much  attention  to  the 
particular  form  of  pneumonia  a  given  patient  may  be 
afflicted  with.  To  the  practicing  veterinarian  pneu- 
monia is  an  inflammation  of  the  lungs,  pneumonitis, 
and  that  is  sufficient  for  practical  purposes. 

Probably  a  minority  of  the  actively  practicing  vet- 
erinarians, although  they  treat,  successfully,  several 
dozen  cases  of  pneumonia  each  season,  can  differentiate 
the  various  forms  of  pneumonia  either  in  words  or  in 
clinical   application.  ^ 

The  secret  of  success  in  treating  pneumonia  in  any 
form  lies  in  early  recognition  or  diagnosis.  The  best 
that  any  treatment  can  do  in  pneumonia  is  to  lessen 
the  severity  of  the  attack,  and  it  can  do  this  best  when 
the  disease  is  just  developing.  It  is  now  quite  gen- 
erally accepted  that  pneumonia,  once  it  asserts  itself, 
can  not  be  aborted.  On  the  other  hand,  correct  and 
judicious  treatment  instituted  early  in  the  attack  can 
make  of  this  disease  a  reasonably  moderate  attack  of 
sickness. 

In  our  own  practice  pneumonitis  in  cattle  does  not 
cause  us  much  worry  if  we  have  been  called  reason- 
ably early.  We  usually  have  little  trouble  in  giving 
quite  an  exact  prognosis  and  as  a  rule  see  it  verified 
almost  in  detail.  When  we  are  not  called  in  early  in 
the  attack,  we  have  learned  from  experience  to  guard 
our  prognosis  decidedly. 


140  SPECIAL  CATTLE  THERAPY 

The  diagnosis  of  pneumonitis  in  cattle  does  not  offer 
much  difficult3^  In  most  instances  the  attack  begins 
with  a  chill  or  rigor  which  may  remain  in  evidence 
only  a  few  minutes.  In  other  cases  It  may  remain 
for  several  hours;  usually,  however,  it  does  not  per- 
sist for  any  great  length  of  time,  and  has  passed  by 
the  time  the  veterinarian  sees  the  patient. 

The  animal  stands  slightly  ''humped  up"  and  al- 
most from  the  very  beginning  the  elbows  are  turned 
outward.  The  body  temperature  is  elevated  several 
degrees,  standing  when  the  chill  has  passed  around 
104  degrees  Fahrenheit,  or  even  a  little  higher. 

Auscultation  over  the  thorax  reveals  distinct  rales, 
and  pressure  exerted  over  the  intercostal  spaces  always 
proves  painful  to  the  patient.  In  the  early  stages 
the  cow  will  maintain  the  standing  position,  but  later 
in  the  attack  she  assumes  the  recumbent  attitude  for 
long  periods  at  a  time.  AVhen  in  the  latter  position 
she  usually  emits  a  characteristic  grunt. 

The  appetite  is  impaired  as  a  rule  and  in  the  lat- 
ter stages  there  may  be  a  discharge  from  the  nose. 
In  most  cases  there  is  a  certain  degree  of  constipa- 
tion at  first;  later  there  is  apt  to  be  some  diarrhea. 

The  treatment  of  pneumonitis  consists  of  remedial 
agents  Avhich  have  a  tendency  to  support  the  system, 
especially  the  heart,  and  appropriate  sero-therapy  to 
control  secondary  infections,  such  as  result  from  the 
invasion  of  pus-producing  organisms.  Measures  used 
to  exert  a  direct  action  on  the  pathological  condition 
are,  as  a  rule,  failures. 

The  treatment  which  we  have  adopted  and  used 
with  mucli  satisfaction  for  a  period  of  years  is  about 
as  follows: 

We  start  the  treatment,  no  matter  in  what  stage 
the  case  comes  into  our  hands,  with  an  old  fashioned 


PNEUMONIA  141 

mustard  plaster.  We  make  this  mustard  plaster  by 
stirring  a  pound  of  powdered  mustard  into  a  thin 
paste  with  hot  water,  which  is  then  rubbed  briskly 
into  the  hair  over  both  sides  of  the  thorax  and  along 
the  course  of- the  trachea  from  the  larynx  to  the  breast. 
This  application  causes  only  slight  irritation  in  cattle 
and  lasts  for  about  a  half  hour,  during  which  the  ani- 
mal usually  trembles  a  little  and  paws  some  with  one 
foot  or  the  other. 

We  make  no  attempt  to  remove  the  mustard  after 
it  has  served  its  purpose,  allowing  it  to  dry  and  come 
off  of  its  own  accord  in  time.  Medical  treatment  we 
limit  to  one  dram  each  of  fluid  extracts  of  nux  vom- 
ica and  gentian  root  every  few  hours  during  the  day. 
If  a  cough  is  present  we  add  to  this  a  quarter  dram 
of  fluid  extract  of  belladonna.  On  the  first  day  of 
treatment,  and  again  on  the  fourth  day,  we  inject  a 
dose  of  polyvalent  bacterins  hypodermically. 

If  the  appetite  is  very  much  below  par  we  double 
the  dose  of  the  nux  vomica  until  the  cow  eats;  then 
reduce  it  to  one  dram  again.  We  see  to  it  that  the 
patient  is  stabled  under  hygienic  conditions  and  sup- 
plied with  tempting  feeds.  Really,  the  best  index  to 
the  condition  of  a  bovine  patient  suffering  from  pneu- 
monitis is  the  appetite.  If  the  veterinarian  can  con- 
trive to  keep  the  patient  eating  regularly  and  quite 
heartily  he  is  doing  well. 

The  foregoing  comprises  the  sum  total  of  our  treat- 
ment in  pneumonitis  in  cattle.  We  pay  no  attention 
to  reducing  the  temperature  with  coal-tar  prepara- 
tions or  other  febrifuges.  If  the  temperature  persists 
at  a  dangerous  height,  we  find  the  administration  of 
intestinal  antiseptics  most  serviceable.  When  con- 
fronted with  this  state  of  affairs  we  give  a  few  large 
doses    of   sulpho-carbolates   compound,   usually   about 


142  SPECIAL  CATTLE  THERAPY 

forty  or  fifty  grains  each  of  calcium,  sodium,  and  zinc 
sulpho  carbolates  at  one  dose.  This  dose  we  repeat 
at  intervals  of  three  or  four  houi'S  until  four  doses 
have  been  given. 

AVith  this  treatment  most  of  our  cases  terminate 
satisfactorily  in  from  seven  to  ten  days.  We  rarely 
have  complications — in  fact,  practically  none — and 
while  the  past  year  or  two  has  shown  us  some  fine 
results  with  sparteine  sulphate  in  this  disease,  we 
have  more  faith  in  this  old  system. 

Spartein  sulphate  is  used  in  twenty-grain  doses 
every  three  or  four  hours  in  pneumonitis,  and  its  ef- 
fect is  very  gratifying.  I  have  extolled  its  merits  and 
given  details  of  its  effect  in  ''Special  Veterinary 
Therapy." 


TUBERCULOSIS  143 


TUBERCULOSIS 

AVe  hesitate  to  undertake  the  discussion  of  this  dis- 
ease in  a  treatise  on  special  therapy.  AYe  feel  that  in 
the  space  available  justice  can  hardly  be  done  to  a 
disease  which  presents  such  a  variety  of  clinical  phe- 
nomena as  this  one.  Yet,  any  treatise  on  the  most 
common  diseases  of  dairy  cattle  would  be  most  glar- 
ingly incomplete  did  it  not  include  a  discussion 
thereon,  for  tuberculosis  is  most  assuredly  one  of  the 
most  common  diseases  of  dairy  cattle. 

The  longer  one  is  engaged  in  the  practice  of  vet- 
erinary medicine  the  more  does  he  become  impressed 
with  the  great  variability  and  the  constant  modifica- 
tion or  aggravation  of  the  clinical  signs  of  this  dis- 
ease. Also,  the  more  extensive  one's  experience  with 
this  variability  of  clinical  evidences  of  the  disease  the 
more  impressed  he  becomes  with  the  idea  that  tuber- 
culosis is  practically  universal.  One  finds  it  where  it 
is  least  expected,  and  one  finds  more  than  he  expected 
to  find  wherever  he  finds  it. 

The  diagnosis  of  tuberculosis  is  limited  only,  in  our 
opinion,  by  the  diagnostic  acuteness  of  the  diagnos- 
tician. We  vividly  recall  an  experience  w^e  went 
through  in  the  great  Southwest,  where  tuberculosis  is 
not  common  in  native  cattle.  A  dairy  near  the  city 
of  El  Paso,  Texas,  milking  around  five  hundred  cows, 
was  forced  by  city  ordinance  to  submit  the  herd  to  the 
tuberculin  test.  The  dairy  was  a  model  from  a  sani- 
tary standpoint,  was  hygienically  conducted  in  all  de- 
partments and  the  cows  themselves  were  almost  daily 
under  the  eye  of  a  veterinarian.  The  cows,  mostly 
Holsteins,  were  almost  all  bought  in  Northern  states. 
While  we  knew  that  the  herd  had  a  number  of  tuber- 


144  SPECIAL  CATTLE  THERAPY 

culous  members,  we  were  not  prepared  for  the  most 
shocking  disclosures  made  by  the  tuberculin — namely : 
that  out  of  four  hundred  and  fifty  cows  tested  one 
hundred  and  seventy-two  gave  a  decidedly  positive 
leaction. 

Veterinarians  long  engaged  in  practice  are  never 
surprised  by  results  obtained  with  the  use  of  tuber- 
culin ;  they  have  seen  cows  react  under  such  a  great 
variety  of  circumstances  and  conditions  of  environ- 
ment that  they  alivays  expect  to  find  it. 

In  this  place  we  must  confine  our  remarks,  how^ever, 
to  those  clinical  manifestations  of  tuberculosis  which 
the  practicing  veterinarian  may  encounter  in  the  indi- 
vidual cow  in  the  daily  rounds  of  practice ;  those  mani- 
festations which  must  attract  his  attention  to  the  tuber- 
cular character,  or  nature,  of  more  or  less  usual  patho- 
logical states. 

We  are  but  little  concerned  with  the  tuberculin- 
testing  of  cows  in  herds,  because,  when  w^e  once  arrive 
at  the  tuberculin  application,  we  are  expecting  to  find 
tuberculosis.  Our  task,  in  this  treatise,  is  to  attempt 
a  discussion  of  those  marks  which  should  demonstrate 
the  necessity  of  the  tuberculin  test  in  cases  where  we 
do  not  expect  to  find  it.  And  it  is  indeed  a  task  to 
make  the  discussion  both  intelligent  and  brief. 

To  begin  with,  the  veterinarian  whose  practice 
brings  him  in  daily  contact  with  herds  of  dairy  cattle 
or,  to  express  it  more  specifically,  with  the  individuals 
of  those  herds,  must  be  constantly  on  .the  lookout  for 
manifestations  of  tuberculosis.  If  he  relaxes  his  guard 
in  this  respect  in  any  case,  no  matter  what  the  path- 
ology of  the  case  under  his  care  at  the  time,  he  is  in 
serious  danger  of  jeopardizing  the  financial  interests  of 
his  client  and  the  social  welfare  of  humanity  at  large. 

The   veterinarian's   examination,   especially   in   sub- 


TUBERCULOSIS  145 

acute  or  chronic  diseases,  should  invariably  include 
careful  palpation  of  the  superficial  lymph  glands,  such 
as  the  prescapular,  precrural,  iliac,  and  mammary 
groups.  Enlargement  of  any  of  these  glands  to  a 
marked  degree  is  sufficient  cause  for  the  application  of 
tuberculin,  especially  when  the  enlargement  is  bilateral 
in  any  group. 

Localized  tuberculous  abscesses  are  very  common  in 
the  submaxillary,  cervical  and  pharyngeal  lymph 
glands,  assuming  immense  proportions  on  occasions. 
If  the  veterinarian  merely  lances  these  and  fails  to 
recognize  their  true  significance,  he  is  in  grave  error. 
Another  very  frequent  location  of  a  localized  tuber- 
cular abscess  is  on  the  side  of  the  face,  just  a  trifle 
below  the  eye  and  near  the  facial  tuberosity.  Ab- 
scesses of  this  nature  are  always  slow  in  forming ;  some 
of  them  rupture  spontaneously,  discharge  their  con- 
tents and  heal  over,  only  to  enlarge  again  very  soon 
thereafter.  There  is  here  a  fairly  accurate  diagnostic 
point,  to  wit:  these  abscesses  may  rupture  and  dis- 
charge their  contents  spontaneously.  In  the  cow,  ab- 
scess formations,  not  tuberculous,  hardly  ever  rupture 
spontaneously.  Immense  collections  of  non-specific  pus 
are  retained  sub-dermally  in  the  cow  for  indefinte  pe- 
riods if  they  are  not  molested  surgically. 

In  a  dairy  practice,  abscess  formation  in  any  group 
of  lymphatics,  not  accompanied  by  definite  pathological 
conditions  to  which  such  abscess  formation  might  be 
attributed,  should  always  be  suspected  as  being  tuber- 
culous. While  the  experienced  practitioner  can  make 
a  reasonably  sure  identification  by  macroscopic  pus  ex- 
amination, we  do  not  counsel  the  lancing  of  abscesses 
in  the  region  of  any  lymphatic  groups  until  a  negative 
tuberculin  reaction  has  been  seen.  If  the  reaction  is 
positive  they  most  assuredly  should  not  be  opened.   To 


146  SPECIAL  CATTLE  THERAPY 

open  these  abscesses  before  a  positive  diagnosis  of  their 
non-tuberculous  character  is  made,  by  means  of  tuber- 
culin, is  not  acting  upon  good  judgment.  The  surgical 
invasion  can  have  no  ultimate  value  if  the  case  is 
tuberculous  and  only  endangers  other  members  of  the 
herd  with  the  possibility  of  their  becoming  infected 
from  the  discharges. 

Localized  tuberculous  abscesses  are  never  a  contra- 
indication  with  regard  to  the  tuberculin  test,  nor  are 
other  localized  pus  collections  of  sufficient  import  to 
seriously  interfere  with  the  intelligent  interpretation 
of  the  tuberculin  reaction.  The  ophthalmic  method 
has  been  shown  to  be  just  as  reliable  in  the  disease 
in  bovines  as  the  ophthalmic  mallein  application  for 
diagnosing  glanders  in  equines,  and  it  would  be  the 
method  of  choice  here.  It  is  more  prompt  than  the 
subcutaneous  method  and,  besides,  provides  for  a 
distinct  control  of  each  subject  tested  in  the  eye-  which 
has  not  been  subjected  to  the  tuberculin. 

Extensive  enlargement  of  the  bronchial  and  medias- 
tinal lymphatic  glands  has  been  known  to  produce 
various  acute  clinical  manifestations.  One  of  the  al- 
leged conditions  resulting  from  an  extensive  enlarge- 
ment of  these  glands  is  a  thoracic  choke,  presumably 
due  to  encroachment  of  the  swollen  glands  on  the 
esophagus.  No  doubt  cases  of  thoracic  choke  from  this 
cause  are  very  uncommon,  because  the  glandular  tume- 
faction must  always  assume  immense  proportions  be- 
fore it  can  interfere  seriously  with  the  limits  of  flex- 
ibility of  the  esophagus. 

In  the  liver  even  very  extensive  tubercular  changes 
rarely  produce  clinical  signs  which  can  be  diagnosed 
as  being  produced  by  this  disease.  Why  this  should  be 
true  we  can  not  explain,  unless  it  be  due  to  the  fact 


TUBERCULOSIS  147 

that  we  are  somewhat  limited  in  our  diagnostic  ability 
in  diseases  that  affect  the  liver. 

We  have  seen  postmortem  demonstrations  on  cattle 
which  were  apparently  in  the  "pink  of  condition"  dur- 
ing life,  showing  a  liv*er  fairly  rotten  with  tubercular 
invasion. 

Tubercular  involvement  of  the  intestinal  mucosa,  es- 
pecially of  the  terminal  portion,  is  frequently  the 
cause  of  a  persistent,  or  recurring,  diarrhea. 

This  diarrhcea  is  marked  by  the  fact  that  it  pro- 
duces none  of  the  common  by-effects  of  benign  or 
non-specific  diarrhoeas.  Although  it  may  persist  for 
days,  there  is  no  apparent  abdominal  pain  nor  any 
distinct  sign  of  derangement  in  the  alimentary  tract. 
The  evacuations  are  evidently  the  result  of  the  irri- 
tation accompanying  certain  stages  of  the  pathological 
processes  taking  place  in  the  hindermost  gut. 

If  a  rectal  examination  is  made  in  these  cases  it  is 
usually  no  difficult  matter  to  detect  great  numbers  of 
pea-sized  nodules,  many  of  them  undergoing  degen- 
erative changes.  It  is  probably  as  a  result  of  these 
changes  of  a  degenerative  character  that  the  diarrhoea 
occurs.  Mucus,  streaked  with  blood  and  occasionally 
blood-clots,  can  nearly  always  be  detected  in  the  feces 
in  diarrhoea  of  this  form. 

Cases  of  slowly  developing  ascites  in  cattle,  not  re- 
ferable to  any  demonstrable  causative  factor,  may  al- 
ways be  suspected  as  being  of  tuberculous  origin.  It  is 
barely  possible  that  some  of  these  can  be  attributed 
to  interference  with  the  portal  circulation  from  ex- 
tensive tuberculous  involvement  of  the  liver.  Usually, 
however,  there  is  a  distinct  tubercular  involvement 
of  the  peritoneum  which  can  often  be  detected  by 
careful  rectal  examination  in  the  form  of  numerous 
nodules  or  pearls. 


148  SPECIAL  CATTLE  THERAPY 

Tubercular  pericarditis  is  a  form  of  tuberculosis 
which  we  have  seen  on  several  occasions  when  no  other 
clinical  signs  of  tuberculosis  were  evident.  The  ex- 
tensiveness  of  the  invasion  of  the  disease  in  some  of 
these  cases  is  most  astounding  when  on  postmortem 
examination  we  attempt  to  establish  a  connection  be- 
tween the  lesion  and  the  symptoms  presented  by  the 
animal  during  life. 

Symptoms  of  tuberculous  pericarditis  are  indefinite 
until  the  heart  muscle  and  the  valvular  apparatus  are 
seriously  hampered  by  excessive  effusions  or,  possibly, 
adhesions.  Cows  so-  affected  have  exacerbations  of 
dyspnea  without  provocation ;  recurring,  transient  edem- 
atous swellings  in  the  anterior  portions  of  the  body. 
Auscultation  detects  the  faulty  heart  action,  and  fre- 
quently pressure  over  the  heart  occasions  pain  and 
temporary  dyspnea.  The  left  elbow  is  habitually  in 
an  abducted  state,  and  a  cough  is  invariably  present. 
Li  some  cases  there  is  a  slight  limp  on  the  left  pectoral 
limb. 

Tuberculous  involvement  of  an  articulation  in  an 
extremity  is  not  a  rare  condition  in  cows.  Most  fre- 
quently a  pelvic  limb  is  affected,  and  the  hip  joint  is 
the  usual  seat  of  the  lesion.  There  is  continued  lame- 
ness and,  later,  enlargement  of  the  tissues  surround- 
ing the  articulation.  In  this  affection  there  is  nearly 
always  a  marked  enlargement  of  the  superficial  lym- 
phatics on  the  affected  side. 

Tuberculous  mastitis  can  frequently  be  diagnosed  in 
the  absence  of  any  other  symptoms  of  tuberculosis. 

Acute  mastitis  tuberculous  in  character  is  not  ac- 
companied by  manifestations  whose  severity  coincides 
with  the  gravity  of  the  disease ;  the  clinical  findings 
are  rather  sub-acute.  The  affected  quarter  is  filled 
with  a  floccular,  cheesy,  milk-like  matter.  The  supra- 
mammary  lymphatics  are  tender  to  the  touch,  even  be- 


TUBERCULOSIS  149 

fore  they  are  much  enlarged.  The  great  swelling, 
tenseness  and  soreness  which  we  find  in  the  udder  in 
other  forms  of  mastitis  is  lacking  here;  the  udder  is 
the  seat  of  some  swelling,  but  not  much.  This  swell- 
ing is  somewhat  ''doughy"  in  consistency  and  not 
very  painful.  The  body  temperature  is  elevated  but 
little  or  not  at  all.  We  have  met  with  cases  of  acute 
tuberculous  mastitis  of  this  type  in  unbred  heifers. 

Chronic  tuberculous  lesions  in  the  mammary  glands 
appear  in  various  forms.  Very  commonly  seen  is  the 
form  consisting  of  a  solid  mass  of  tissue  in  the  glandu- 
lar substance.  To  the  touch  this  mass  has  the  feeling 
of  smooth,  fibrous  tissue  firmly  compact  and  sharply 
outlined. 

In  other  forms  numerous  small  masses,  of  hazel- 
nut size,  can  be  felt  in  various  parts  of  the  gland.  In 
all  cases  there  is  enlargement  of  the  regional  lym- 
phatic glands.  Abscess  formation  of  tuberculous  origin 
is  not  uncommon  in  the  substance  of  the  mammary 
glands.  When  such  abscesses  rupture  into  the  lacteal 
cistern,  which  is  not  an  unusual  occurrence  by  any 
means,  there  can  be  no  question  of  the  infectiousness 
of  the  milk. 

Tuberculous  meningitis  occurs  in  cows  but  is  prac- 
tically never  seen  until  the  patient  is  in  extremis  as 
the  result  of  generalized  tuberculosis. 

Habitual  or  recurrent  tympanites  is  subject  to  the 
suspicion  of  being  tuberculosis.  A  herd  cow  who  par- 
takes of  the  same  rations  as  the  other  members  of  the 
herd  and  has  repeated  attacks  of  tympanites  with  no 
particular  cause,  is  a  good  subject  for  tuberculiniza- 
tion. 

Bovine  nymphomaniacs  always  deserve  the  tuber- 
culin test,  before  any  other  form  of  treatment  is  in- 
stituted. 


150  SPECIAL  CATTLE  THERAPY 

Neoformations  in  the  testicular  substance  of  males 
are  always  to  be  looked  upon  as  tuberculous  until  a 
negative  test  proves  the  contrary. 

This  concludes  the  consideration  of  the  varieties  of 
tuberculous  lesions  Avhich  are  commonly  encountered, 
unexpectedly  and  yet  frequently.  Even  from  a  brief 
outline,  such  as  this  one,  it  can  be  seen  how  constant 
must  be  the  practitioner's  vigil,  and  in  what  strange 
clinical  disguises  localized  tuberculous  processes  will 
make  their  appearance. 

The  control  of  tuberculosis  in  dairy  herds  depends 
to  a  very  great  extent  upon  this  vigilance  on  the 
part  of  the  attending  veterinarian,  which  in  itself  is 
one  of  the  best  arguments  against  the  licensure  of 
empirical  practitioners.  The  treatment  of  unrecog- 
nized local  or  regional  manifestations  of  tuberculosis 
is  one  of  the  important  factors  bearing  on  the  spread 
of  this  disease. 


INCIPIENT  TUBERCULOSIS  151 


INCIPIENT    TUBERCULOSIS  .  IN   FAMILY    COWS 

Those  practitioners  who  are  located  in  villages  and 
cities  of  moderate  size  where  ordinances  have  not  yet 
been  passed  prohibiting  the  housing  of  cows  within 
the  corporate  limits,  have  usually  a  number  of  clients 
who  keep  a  cow  to  furnish  milk  for  the  family.  If 
there  are  circumstances  where  the  attending  veteri- 
narian should  promptly  recognize  diseases  and  con- 
ditions which  affect  the  wholesomeness  of  the  milk  and 
the  ultimate  w^ell-being  of  the'  consumer,  those  cir- 
cumstances are  certainly  found  here.  Those  veteri- 
narians who  have  been  close  observers  and  who  keep 
more  or  less  closely  in  touch  with  their  clientele  can 
name  many  instances  in  which  sickness  in  the  family 
and  the  family  cow  are  closely  allied.  Sometimes  it 
requires  the  most  exact  scientific  discrimination  and 
well  trained  powers  of  observation  to  detect  the 
connection ;  the  veterinarian  who  has  the  training  and 
is  conscientious  can,  however,  make  the  proper  deduc- 
tions and  sift  the  case  down. 

To  take  under  consideration  the  entire  field  for 
study  on  this  point  would  entail -almost  endless  writ- 
ings. We  will  take  up  the  one  condition  which  is  more 
common  in  family  cows  than  is  generally  presumed, 
and  will  confine  our  remarks  to  the  early  stages  of 
this  condition. 

Incipient  tuberculosis  in  family  cows  deserves  a 
separate  chapter  in  our  text  books.  Despite  the  teach- 
ings and  theories  of  Koch  and  other  equally  eminent 
investigators,  there  is  a  close  connection  between  tu- 
berculosis .  in  the  cow  and  tuberculosis  in  the  family. 
I  say  family,  not  humanity  in  general. 


152  SPECIAL  CATTLE  THERAPY 

Milk  from  the  family  cow  and  cream  from  tlie  fam- 
ily cow  go  to  the  members  of  the  family  as  milk  and 
cream,  undiluted  with  milk  or  cream  from  other  cows 
or  with  water.  Therefore,  the  one  tuberculous  cow, 
or  several  tuberculous  cows,  in  a  herd  of  dairy  cows 
are  not  nearly  so  dangerous  to  the  ultimate  consumer 
as  is  the  tuberculous  family  cow  to  the  family  using 
its  milk  and  cream  directly  and  undiluted. 

My  experience  has  been  that,  in  every  instance  of 
a  family  using  the  milk  from  a  family  cow  with  a 
fairly  well  marked  case  of  tuberculosis,  which  has 
come  to  my  attention,  I  have  been  able  to  satisfy  myself 
that  one  or  more  members  of  that  family  are  already 
tuberculous  or  are  ''getting  consumption."  (And  in 
many  cases  it  does  not  take  very  long  before  some 
member  of  the  family  begins  to  show  signs  of  the 
disease.  Sometimes  a  few  months  is  enough  time  to 
infect  some  members  virulently.) 

For  this  reason  I  say  incipient  tuberculosis  deserves 
a  separate  chapter  in  our  text  books;  it  is  in  the  in- 
cipient stage  it  must  be  recognized  to  prevent  the 
harm  it  might  do  once  it  becomes  fully  developed. 
Here  I  would  say  that  the  family  cow  which  is  more 
or  less  regularly  attacked  by  spells  of  ''off  feed,"  by 
mild,  repeated  attack  of  indigestion,  especially,  if  at 
the  same  time  there  are  symptoms  referable  to  the 
mammary  glands,  is  a  good  subject  for  the  tuberculin 
test.  Usually,  in  the  family  cow,  the  reaction  is  either 
clearly  negative  or  typically  positive.  This  is  prob- 
ably due  to  the  fact  that  the  surroundings  and  gen- 
eral treatment  accorded  the  family  cow  are  more  fa- 
vorable to  the  ideal  application  of  the  test  than  is  the 
CRSo  Vvdth  cows  in  herds. 

Histories  of  the  infection  of  families  with  tuber- 
culosis through  the  medium  of  the  milk  from  the  fam- 


INCIPIENT  TUBERCULOSIS  153 

ily  cow  will  continue  to  be  written  until  all  communi- 
ties provide  rigid  rules  and  regulations  to  govern  the 
production  and  sale,  and  even  the  use,  of  milk.  Every 
person  who  keeps  a  cow  for  milk  should  be  com- 
pelled by  law  to  submit  the  animal  to  the  tuberculin 
test  at  least  once  every  year.  Once  every  six  months 
would  be  even  better.  Under  present  conditions  the 
veterinarian's  attention  is  called  to  these  cases  only 
when  the  cow  is  actually  sick,  and  more  likely  than 
not  has  been  feeding  the  family  with  virulent  milk 
for  months  past. 


INDEX 


Abdominal    ailments, 

obscure     52 

Actinomycosis    14 

Actinomycosis,  case  reports  18 

Afterbirth,    retained 97 

Agalactia,    acute,    simple..  121 
Ailments,    obscure 

abdominal   52 

Alopecia   areata 101 

Amaurosis   25 

Ammonia,     aromatic     spir- 
its   of,   for    tympanites.  .  42 
Anorexia  from   obscure 

causes 52 

Anorexia,    persistent 45 

Ante-partum    vaginal 

prolapse   105 

Appetite,  aberration    of...  46 

Appetite,  depraved     47 

Arsenic    for    liver    flukes.  .  55 

Arthritis,  acute   30 

Arthritis    deformans 30 

Atresia  of  the  lacteal  duct.  127 

Atropin  for  eye  affections.  22 

Atropin  for  hemorrhage...  28 

Azoturia    , 70 

Bleeding    from    the    nose.  .  26 

Blindness     25 

Bloat 40 

Cajuput  for  repelling  flies.  29 

Cancer  of  the  eye 22 


Chapped   teats 137 

Coccidial   dysentery 60 

Colic    51 

Concretions  in  sub-urethral 

diverticulum     113 

Corneal   ulcers 21 

Cow    pox 135 

Cracked    teats 137 

Cyst,  Douglass'  pouch 115 

Cysts,  sublingual 8 

Dental    irregularities 10 

Diarrhea   in   calves,   simple  65 

Distoma    hepaticum 53 

Douglass '  j)ouch  cyst 115 

Drenching,    the    proper 

method  of 5 

Dropsical    swellings 55 

Drugs,  action   of 5 

Drugs,  administration  of .  .  5 
Dysenteries,  differentiation 

of,   63 

Dysentery  of  calves, 

infectious    67 

Dysentery,  coccidial 60 

Dysentery,  enzootic    36 

Dysentery — Johnes    disease  62 

Eclamptic  parturient 

paresis    91 

Enzootic  dysentery 56 

Epistaxis   26 

Epizootic  keratitis 19 

Eversion  of  the  uterus., ..  .108 


155 


156 


INDEX 


Eye,  anesthesia  of 21 

Eye,    cancer    of 22 

Fasciola  hepaticum 53 

Fetal  death,  symptoms  of.  93 

Fibrolysin   for    hygromas.  .  33 

Fistula,    lacteal 131 

Fluke,    liver 53 

Fly    repellent 29 

Foot-and-mouth  disease. ...  11 

Foreign   bodies,    ingested.  .  34 

Foreign   bodies  in   tongue.  12 

Fractures     31 

Hemorrhage   following 

dehorning    27 

Hemorrhage  from  the  nose  26 

Herpes    tonsurans 102 

Hoven     40 

Hygroma   32 

Hypodermic    medication...      6 

Impaction  of  the  rumen.  .  48 
Ingested  foreign  bodies...  34 
Intestinal   antiseptic    for 

impaction 50 

Intestinal     antiseptics     for 

Thurow's    disease 39 

Johnes  disease 62 

Keratitis,    epizootic 19 

Knee,   hygroma   of 32 

Lacerated    injuries 29 

Lacteal   duct,    atresia    of..  127 

Lacteal  fistula 131 

Laparotomy    35 

Liver  fluke 53 

Liver,   foreign   bodies   in.  .    36 

Lumpy  jaw 14 

Lungs,  foreign  bodies  in..    37 

Mammitis    123 

Mania,  puerperal 77 


Mastitis   123 

Medication    of    cattle, 

successful    7 

Medication,    hypodermic...  6 

Medication,    oral 5 

Mercuric    chlorid    for    can- 
cer of  the  eye 24 

Mercuric  oxid  for  keratitis  20 

Milk   fever 83 

Molars,     deciduous 10 

Molars,    defective 10 

MonsePs    solution    for 

hemorrhage 28 

Mumps 13 

Muscular    rheumatism 68 

Nux  vomica  for  impaction.  50 

Obstetrical   paralysis 79 

''Off   feed'' 52 

Opacities  of  lens  or  cornea.  21 

Paralysis,  acute  bulbar.  ...  73 

Paralysis,  obstetrical 79 

Paralysis,    senile 76 

Paraplegia 70 

Paresis,  parturient 83 

Parotitis,  acute 13 

Parturient    paresis 83 

Parturient    paresis, 

eclamptic 91 

Parturient  paresis, 

recurrent     90 

Parturient    syncope 81 

Phymosis 118 

Phytolacca     for     actinomy- 
cosis      18 

Pica     46 

Pneumonia    139 

Potassium  iodid  for 

actinomycosis   . 17 

Potassium    iodid    for    liver 

flukes   53 


INDEX 


157 


Pouch,    iutcrmaxillary 8 

Prolapse  of  the   uterus. . . .108 

Prolapse,    vaginal 105 

Puerperal    mania 77 

Puerperal   mania — Eabies, 
differentiation    78 

Eabies    94 

Eabies — Puerperal   mania, 

differentiation    78 

Ranula 8 

Retained    secundines 97 

Rheumatism,    muscular.  ...  68 

Ring  worm 102 

Senile    paralysis 76 

Silver    nitrate    for    corneal 

ulcer's    21 

Sore    teats     137 

Spartein    sulphate    for 

pneumonia     142 

Staphyloma     21 

Sterility     100 

Stomatitis   11 

Stranguary    113 

Surfeit 43 

Syncope,    parturient 81 


Synechia    21 

Tapping   41 

Teats,    chapped 137 

Teats,  cracked 137 

Teats,   sore 137 

Thurow's    disease 38 

Tongue,    actinomycosis    of.    16 
Tongue,    foreign    bodies   in  12 

Tongue,    woody 16 

Trocar,    use    of 41 

Tuberculosis    143 

Tuberculosis    in    family 

cows    151 

Tuberculosis,    incipient.  .  .  .151 
Tympanites     40 

Ulcers,    corneal 21 

Uterus,   eversion   of 108 

Vaginal    prolapse 105 

Variola 135 

Wire    cuts 29 

Woody  tongue 16 

Wright 's    treatment    for 

bloat     42 

Zinc   sulphate   for   keratitis  £1 


